Bianca Andreescu was excited to play back home in Toronto and the 2024 Canadian Open, and she started well, taking a 6-0 lead, but then lost the next two sets, which left her devastated.
The Canadian didn't play a lot this year, returning to the tennis courts only recently. Her return to grass was very fruitful as she made the final at the WTA 250 tournament in Den Bosch but failed to win the trophy, which was a disappointment for her.
She kept her head high and went to the Paris Olympics, where she once again left everything on the court but failed to win a medal. The Canadian didn't give up, and went back home, where she finally got a chance to compete on home soil again.
The WTA 1000 event in Toronto is hugely significant for her because it happens only every two years. It's her hometown event, so she loves playing there. She has missed many in the past year due to injuries, so returning was an emotional experience for the 24-year-old.
Andrescu was highly motivated to do well and started amazingly in the first round against Lesia Tsurenko, taking the opening set 6-0. Everything was going to plan, and the crowd was heavily supporting her.
Unfortunately for her and the crowd, she lost the second set and then the third set as well, losing the match 6-0, 3-6, 4-6, but the crowd still rallied behind her and gave her a good applause after the match.
In her post-match press conference, Andreescu's heartbreak was visible because she had to fight tears while talking about the match and how painful the loss was for her.
"It was great. I can never complain about that, especially here in Toronto. Yeah, it just sucks, like it really sucks. I wish... (crying.) Yeah, no, I'm just going to finish, it's okay. I actually haven't cried yet, so I guess this is my little cry sesh here."
There is not much that can be said or done after losing a match. The former US Open winner had a chance to prove herself on the court, and after taking the opening set 6-0, things looked really good for Andreescu.
Unfortunately, she couldn't keep the level, and Tsurenko marvelously turned around the match, and the Canadian couldn't find many words after the match.
"Yeah, it sucks. Like, I guess all I can say is, like, I'm sorry that I didn't get the win for you guys, but, yeah, all I can say as well on top of that is I appreciate all the support and, yeah, see you guys in two years, right? Two years? Yeah. Thanks, guys."
Her next chance to win will come in Cincinnati, another WTA 1000 tournament, which begins next week. She will need to do much better than here because consistency remains an issue for her. She is capable of some amazing tennis, but it doesn't seem like she can sustain it for the duration of a match.
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