‘I wanted to quit the sport’ – Bianca Andreescu previews her long-awaited return
Bianca Andreescu has revealed that though she at one point wanted to quit tennis, she is now looking forward as she returns in hopes of doing something bigger than the sport.
The Canadian talent was a force to be reckoned with back in 2019.
She reached a career-high ranking of number four in the world after stunning Serena Williams in straight sets to win the US Open after claiming WTA 1000 titles at Indian Wells and the Canadian Open, all at just 19 years old.
However, following her triumph at Flushing Meadows in 2019, she has suffered several injury problems and fitness issues which continued throughout the 2020 and 2021 seasons.
After only playing 13 tournaments in 2021 and suffering a particularly persistent knee injury, she decided to take a break from tennis with her last tournament being Indian Wells in October 2021.
Despite contemplating her retirement from the sport, Andreescu is set to return this week at the WTA 500 Porsche Grand Prix in Stuttgart, with the 21-year-old declaring she is looking forward to being back on the WTA tour.
She told WTA Insider: “I’m being really honest here, but I actually wanted to quit the sport, it was really bad.
“I am privileged in a way for having this opportunity and doing all of this.
“Now I’m very grateful, more than ever, so I don’t want people to think, ‘Oh you’re a little baby, just suck it up.’
“But it was an accumulation of two-and-a-half years.
“A lot had happened and I just didn’t want to deal with anything anymore.”
Andreescu continued that despite her doubts, she eventually rediscovered her love for the sport.
“But not just to win Grand Slams, or to do this and that,” she said.
“I want to do something bigger in the sport and I want to help contribute to a better world as well.
“I realise that tennis is my way toward that.
“But I’m very, very excited to play again.
“The last couple of months have been quite difficult, but I feel like as cliche as that sounds, I’ve found myself and really developed a stronger passion for this game.
“I’ve realised I truly love the sport.”
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