The whole world might be tuning into the Australian Open, but there are still other tournaments taking place around the world.
The elite of tennis might be duking it out in Melbourne for the first Grand Slam of the year, but some of the lesser ranked players are competing at the ITF W35 Bradenton Open in America.
Players ranked outside the top 200 are competing to try to desperately nab some ranking points to kickstart their 2026.
For Bianca Andreescu, the 2019 US Open champion, that is exactly what happened as she lifted the trophy.
Bianca Andreescu wins first title since 2019
Andreescu shocked the world to win the US Open in 2019, becoming the first-ever star to do so on her main draw debut.
The Canadian rocketed up the rankings, but it’s been far from smooth sailing since. She has struggled with form and injuries and the landmark major win was actually the last time she lifted a trophy.
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That is, until, her victory at the Bradenton Open after she defeated Vivian Wolff in the final to collect 35 ranking points.
The world number 228 also beat Britain’s Ella McDonald, as well as Malkia Ngounoue, Tatiana Pieri, and Lea Ma.
Andreescu was the highest ranked player in the tournament, but the confidence this will give her should be worth more than its weight in gold.
The Canadian’s decision to skip the Australian Open in order to play the smaller tournament has already been rewarded.
Bianca Andreescu could be a player to watch in 2026
It’s easy forget to that Andreescu is still only 25 years of age because she won her maiden Grand Slam at such a young age.
Andreescu won just eight WTA Tour-level matches in 2025, so it is clear why she’s decided to drop down to smaller tournaments.
The talent and the experience are still obviously there, so with a bit of confidence building the star could return to the elite rung of tennis.
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Andreescu’s last WTA Tour-level win came at her home tournament at the Canadian Open, ahead of the US Open.
She defeated Barbora Krejcikova in the opening round, before giving Mirra Andreeva a walkover due to injury.
Andreescu then missed the US Open and didn’t win another Tour level match for the rest of the season, despite appearing at four more tournaments.
If Andreescu can get fit, and build some confidence, she could return back up the rankings in no time.
