"We can bounce ideas off each other and start something" - Bianca Andreescu on Novak Djokovic

| by Drew Tate

Bianca Andreescu is a huge fan of Novak Djokovic and she's starting to emulate some of the things he did in his career.

Ever since reading Djokovic's book Serve to Win, Andreescu has looked to Djokovic for inspiration. It comes after a bout with injuries for Andreescu that left her completely frustrated and seeking a break from tennis in the 2nd part of last year. The Canadian is not one to avoid the gym or working so she turned to other professionals who could inspire her to try some new things.

After reading the book, Andreescu opted to eliminate gluten from her diet and she's amazed by the effects it had on her body. She also adopted some of the things Djokovic does to keep himself mentally sound which is a big part of why he's considered one of the mentally strongest players on the tour.

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Speaking about that she said:

"I definitely think that the men’s side should have an initiative like that as well. I know that Novak Djokovic talks a lot about mental health. I have listened to a lot of his interviews. I have spoken to him a little bit but not specifically about mental health. Hopefully, I can talk to him more about it. We can bounce ideas off of each other and maybe start something, it will be cool"

For Andreescu the mental struggle was very real. So much so that she needed time away from the thing she loves the most in order to reset properly and rediscover the fire needed for the grind that is everyday tennis. She's feeling motivated and excited about the North American swing but she is also committed to promoting mental health both in tennis and in Canada.

The struggles with mental health are part of our sport. Tennis Canada is committed to creating a safer environment for us all. I'm so excited to be the ambassador for Tennis Canada's mental health project. It's time we take away the stigma around mental health and start taking action to make life easier and better on and off the court.

Andreescu on mental health
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