Bianca Andreescu explains challenging side of tennis that many don’t see

Bianca Andreescu, 22, says tennis is a lonely sport and not knowing how to react in certain situations can lead to a player falling into a dark place. 

Andreescu achieved major success very early in her career, winning a Grand Slam and two WTA 1000 events as a teenager in 2019. 

But then, Andreescu started dealing with injuries – that impacted her results – and led to the Canadian experiencing depression and anxiety. 

Andreescu who announced an indefinite break from tennis in 2021 December and contemplated retirement, returned to tennis in 2022 April and she is now in a much better place. 

“You’re alone out there, you’re alone on the court, you don’t have anyone really helping you. It’s like a lonely, lonely journey in a way. But if you try to find love in the process, that’s the most important thing, basically, love and appreciation,” Andreescu told The Guardian.

Andreescu realized something needed to change

After a highly-successful junior career, Andreescu kicked off her pro career by winning some of the biggest tournaments in the world.

But when injuries struck and Andreescu started losing more frequently, the Canadian found herself in unfamiliar territory. 

“As a young athlete, I was doing really, really well in the juniors, ITFs. And then my first year in the pros, I won the freaking US Open. I knew what it was to win, basically. And then when I started losing, I didn’t know what was happening in a way. I didn’t know how to deal with it. I was shocked, which was really weird because people are losing every single week in tennis. And now I know how it feels. I’ve been through it and I’m glad that I did because I was able to realise that if I want to have a long career, I can’t continue like that,” Andreescu said. 

Now, Andreescu is in a much better place and deals with adversity much better. 

“There are more important things out there than winning or losing or even just playing tennis. I’m very grateful to play but having food on the table is more important, amazing parents, supportive friends, little things like that. Thinking about that has really helped me shift my perspective,” Andreescu said.