Bianca Andreescu wrote a fascinating and brave piece a few days ago detailing her struggles after winning the 2019 US Open and overcoming them.
Andreescu returned a few months ago after a long period out with an injury. Tennis missed having a former Grand Slam champion and a great personality competing regularly on the WTA Tour.
The highlight of the Canadian's return so far was her run to the final of the WTA-250 tournament in 's-Hertogenbosch. Although she lost in the final to Liudmila Samsonova, it was still a great week for her.
Andreescu's results since then have not been as strong. She struggled to hold back her tears after losing in the opening round of her home event at the Canadian Open in Toronto against Lesia Tsurenko.
The 24-year-old is focused on preparing for the US Open. Her first-round matchup from the women's draw was among the most interesting, pitting her against a two-time Grand Slam finalist.
Andreescu will face Jasmine Paolini for the third Grand Slam in a row. She lost to the Italian during her runs to the final at the French Open and Wimbledon. Andreescu hopes to do better at a tournament where she has great memories.
The former US Open champion wrote an article about how she fell out of love with tennis after her triumph in New York five years ago. She recalled locking herself in the bathroom after a first-round loss at the French Open.
"I got off the court, went straight to the first bathroom I saw, dropped my bags and started crying. I mean, looking back now, I can laugh because I’m like, Wtf, B?? But at the time, it felt so bad. I locked myself in there for two hours. I was like paralyzed on the ground. People were knocking and knocking, but I couldn’t open the door. That bathroom was designated for Bianca Andreescu for the time being."
Andreescu also remembers staying at the luxurious mansion usually reserved for Roger Federer at the Indian Wells Open in 2021. Everything looked perfect on the outside, but the Canadian said she felt empty inside.
"Since Roger didn’t come that October, the house was offered to me. It has big, big double doors at the front, and when you open them, you walk into this foyer with a shimmering chandelier. Then you walk down these steps to the living area, where there’s a huge couch with four flat screen TVs, playing all different kinds of sports. Gift baskets everywhere."
"Everything was perfect on the outside. But on the inside, I felt so empty. I had always been happy and bubbly, but I had completely changed as a person."
After telling those around her she wanted to take an indefinite break from tennis, she took a week-long retreat, which proved pivotal in helping her regain her love for the sport.
"I went on a week-long retreat, where I spent hours in stillness, just listening. And I had this weird dream. I can’t exactly describe what I saw, because dreams. But I just remember feeling so much joy and happiness. And love. And I realized that, through tennis, I can reach people."
Andreescu now enjoys playing for others and giving everything on the court in every match she plays, hoping to inspire others when she competes on the court.
"When you play for others — for family, for country, and for everyone who has been through something — tennis becomes not like a game. It becomes your most important mission on earth. I’m not just playing for myself, I’m playing to inspire. Even if I lose, let’s say, if I give my best then I’m still winning."
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