Victoria Azarenka has withdrawn from the Australia Open due to a bitter custody dispute with her ex, according to ESPN.
The father of her son, Leo, who was born on December 20, 2016, is her former boyfriend, Billy McKeague. After their son was born, McKeague filed for primary custody in Los Angeles, according to TMZ .
The proceedings were supposed to be resolved in 2017, but Azarenka and McKeague were unable to agree on custody terms. Because of this, Azarenka has been unable to take her son out of the state of California.
On January 15, TMZ reported that a “California judge has ruled in Azarenka’s favor — agreeing the case doesn’t belong in CA or anywhere in the U.S.” Since Azarenka is from Belarus and was awarded primary custody of her son in the country’s court system, she believes that her case doesn’t belong in a U.S. court. The reports states that McKeague has three weeks to appeal the judge’s ruling.
“We’re told Azarenka’s plan is to move back to Belarus with their son as soon as she can — but she wants McKeague to be in the kid’s life and hopes to have an amicable co-parenting relationship with him moving forward,” TMZ reports.
The 27-year-old Azarenka was the top-ranked tennis player in the world in January 2012. She won the Australian Open in 2012 and 2013, and made it to the U.S. Open Finals in those years as well. Her previous best finishes at Wimbledon came in 2011 and 2012, when she reached the semifinals.
Here is what you need to know:
1. McKeague Is a St. Louis Native Who Played Hockey at the University of Missouri
McKeague is a 27-year-old St. Louis native who attended the University of Missouri. According to his Elite Prospects profile, he played for three seasons, from 2008 to 2012, but only appeared in one game in his last season. He also played hockey in high school at Chaminade College Preparatory School in St. Louis.
Women’s Tennis Blog reports that videos and tweets from McKeague’s friends show he also plays golf.
McKeague does have his own Twitter and Instagram accounts, but they are both private.
2. Azarenka & McKeague Live at Her New Manhattan Beach Home
Welcoming @vika7 and @MillyBckeague new arrival into the world! Congratulations to you both! ❤️
As Azarenka revealed in a New York Times profile, she has a new house in Manhattan Beach, California. She lives there with McKeague, but she has been doing most of her tennis preparation in Minsk, the capital of Belarus.
Azarenka told the Times that her practices are scheduled around breast-feeding Leo. McKeague has also been involved in raising their son.
“You don’t know how someone is going to react at a young age being a dad, but he loves Leo so much and is very affectionate,” Azarenka told the Times. “He understands what I want to do right now, and he’s also willing to sacrifice his time away from his family as well for the next five, six years for me to be done with this chapter of my life of playing,” she added.
3. The Couple Met in Hawaii, Where McKeague Was Working as a Golf Pro
The New York Times reports that McKeague and Azarenka met in Kauai, Hawaii, when Azarenka was meeting surfer Laird Hamilton and his wife, Gabrielle Reece. At the time, McKeague was working as a golf pro at golf resorts on the North Shore.
The couple share a competitive spirit, as the two compete during Azarenka’s workouts sessions in Minsk. The Times notes that his personality is a little more easygoing than Azarenka’s though.
“I have a nanny but she is not here at the moment, so obviously my boyfriend has been helping out. He loves being a dad and spending time with Leo. It’s fun,” Azarenka told The Telegraph in July.
4. His Father Chase McKeague Leads the Investment Group Chase And Company
McKeague’s parents are Chase and Lynn McKeage. He has two siblings, Lisa and Charlie McKeague, Chase McKeague’s Facebook page shows. McKeague’s parents now live in Hawaii, although they retain links to the St. Louis area.
According to his LinkedIn page, Chase McKeague is principal of Chase and Company, an investment group started in December 2005.
“At Chase and Company, we see opportunity everywhere – in real estate, in businesses and in causes for the common good. We apply our experience, creativity and resources to open the doors for entrepreneurial thinking and the successes that follow,” Chase McKeague’s LinkedIn page reads.
Before that, Chase McKeague was chairman and chief marketing officer at NSI Marketing Services/Ansira for 23 years. He has a B.A. in speech and dramatic art from the University of Missouri-Columbia.
Lynn McKeague is marketing director for Chase and Company, according to her LinkedIn page.
5. Sister Lisa McKeague Is a Data Execution Analyst Based in New York City
McKeague’s sister, Lisa McKeague, is a data execution analyst for Ansira and is based in New York City, according to her LinkedIn account.
Lisa graduated from Southern Methodist University in 2011, earning a B.A. in Journalism, and Humanities and Sciences. She’s been working for Ansira since she graduated, first in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. In February 2013, she was promoted to a position in New York City, where she’s been working ever since.
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Billy McKeague, Victoria Azarenka’s Ex-Boyfriend: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know