Bianca Andreescu defeated Paula Badosa, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 in the semifinals of the WTA 125 event in Austin.
After losing early at Indian Wells, the 2019 US Open champion made the trip east to Austin.
Winning a handful of three-setters, Andreescu qualified for her biggest final since 2024.
Bianca Andreescu reaches biggest final since June 2024 in Austin
Showing the heart that saw her become the first Canadian Grand Slam champion, Andreescu has fought her way to the final in Austin.
Bianca Andreescu at the Austin WTA 125 event
- 1R [WIN] vs Solana Sierra, 6-3, 2-6, 6-3
- 2R [WIN] vs Renata Zarazua, 6-3, 7-5
- QF [WIN] vs Emerson Jones, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3
- SF [WIN] vs Paula Badosa, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3
Her semifinal win over Badosa was her third three-set victory this week.
She hasn’t played a final above the ITF level since June 2024, when she lost in the Netherlands to Liudmila Samsonova.
Bianca Andreescu’s last 10 finals
| Final | Tier | Opponent | Result | Score |
| 2019 Newport Beach | WTA 125 | Jessica Pegula | WIN | 0-6, 6-4, 6-2 |
| 2019 Indian Wells | WTA 1000 | Angelique Kerber | WIN | 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 |
| 2019 Canadian Open | WTA 1000 | Serena Williams | WIN | 3-1 (RET) |
| 2019 US Open | Grand Slam | Serena Williams | WIN | 6-3, 7-5 |
| 2021 Miami Open | WTA 1000 | Ash Barty | LOSS | 3-6, 0-4 (RET) |
| 2022 Bad Homburg Open | WTA 250 | Caroline Garcia | LOSS | 7-6, 4-6, 4-6 |
| 2024 Rosmalen Open | WTA 250 | Liudmila Samsonova | LOSS | 6-4, 3-6, 5-7 |
| 2026 Bradenton | W35 | Vivian Wolff | WIN | 6-2, 7-5 |
| 2026 Vero Beach | W75 | You Xiaodi | WIN | 7-5, 6-1 |
| 2026 Austin | WTA 125 | Lanlana Tararudee | – | – |
In fact, if she were to win the final on Saturday evening, she’d pick up her biggest title since her US Open triumph seven years ago.
There’s a lot on the line for Andreescu in Austin, but who stands in her way?
She’ll meet Thailand’s Lanlana Tararudee in the final.
Lanlana Tararudee career statistics
- Age – 21
- WTA Rank – 124th
- Best Grand Slam performance – 1R (2026 Australian Open)
- WTA Titles – 0
- WTA Challenger titles – 0
- ITF titles – 6
Andreescu certainly has more experience than Tararudee, but the Thai shouldn’t be underestimated.
Still just 21, Tararudee is one of the top prospects in Asian tennis, and will be determined to win the biggest title of her young career.
Andreescu and Tararudee will contest the 2026 Austin WTA 125 final on Saturday, March 14.
Bianca Andreescu proves why she deserves more wild cards with Austin performance
Andreescu received a wild card last time out for the Indian Wells main draw.
Returning to the scene of her maiden WTA 1000 triumph, Andreescu lost her first-round match to Kamilla Rakhimova, 7-6, 0-6, 1-6.
These days, whenever a wild-card recipient loses in the first round, many question whether they were deserving of a main draw spot.
That shouldn’t be the case with Andreescu.
At 25, she’s still got plenty to give, and as evidenced by her run in Austin, the Canadian can still win matches against top players.
Reaching the Austin final, Andreescu has jumped back into the world’s top 150, but could rise even higher with a win.
Live WTA rankings
| Rank | Name | Country | Points |
| 142 | Lin Zhu | China | 549 |
| 143 | Lucrezia Stefanini | Italy | 540 |
| 144 | Lola Radivojecvic | Serbia | 540 |
| 145 | Linda Klimovicova | Poland | 537 |
| 146 | Bianca Andreescu | Canada | 534 |
| 147 | Emerson Jones | Australia | 532 |
| 148 | Sofia Costoulas | Belgium | 519 |
| 149 | Taylah Preston | Australia | 497 |
| 150 | Maria Timofeeva | Uzbekistan | 494 |
| 151 | Nuria Brancaccio | Italy | 493 |
If Andreescu were to defeat Tararudee, she’d become the world number 136.
Then, she wouldn’t be too far away from qualifying directly for WTA 1000 and Grand Slam main draws without a wild card.
Does Serena Williams win a WTA title or Grand Slam title if she comes back to tennis?
Until then, Andreescu should be one of the first names on the wild card shortlist.
She hasn’t been given a Miami Open wild card, but in fairness, they were handed out before her run to the final in Austin.
Only time will tell what the future holds for Andreescu, but if she can continue playing as well as she has in Austin, we might be hearing her name a lot more over the next few months!
