Bianca Andreescu is tapping an unlikely source to help her rediscover her winning force: the 2019 US Open champion says a conversation – in Romanian – with her grandma has helped her reconnect with her tennis raison d’etre.
“I’m going to be honest,” she said on Tuesday night in Paris, when asked to explain how she pushes through when times get tough. “I started thinking about my grandmother because she’s getting old, and I’m very close to her. She said – in Romanian, she doesn’t speak English – ‘Bianca, I really want to watch you win another major.’
Andreescu, who rallied from a set and a break down to defeat Victoria Azarenka in first-round action on Tuesday, says her granny’s words were on her mind as she mounted her electrifying comeback against the two-time major champion.
“I had that in the back of my head at one point when I was down 3-1,” she said. “I started to get emotional, too. At that point something just came out of me, and I started playing better.”
Having grandma close to her heart helps Andreescu realise that success on the tennis court is worth fighting for.
“The last few weeks haven’t been easy for me, just like recovering from my injury and all that stuff. I’m still not 100 per cent. I still get pain here and there. I just have to push through it and not think that it’s bad pain.
“My fighting spirit is back, so that feels nice.”
Seeking new milestones
After a hair-raising fall in Miami led to two torn ankle ligaments in March, doubts started creeping into Andreescu’s head. Barely 19 when she won her maiden major title at the 2019 US Open, the 22-year-old Canadian admits she’s waiting impatiently for her next breakout.
“I’m just trying to stay positive as much as I can,” she told a small group of reporters.
“I know it’s cliche, but it works for me. And continuing to be patient because I know I’m doing the right things. I’ve been saying that for the past year and a half – I’m hoping to get a win soon because time is ticking here.
“I’m 23 very soon… Like, you know, time is running out.”
