Bianca Andreescu lifted the US Open trophy in September 2019. At 19, she had just defeated Serena Williams. She could not have imagined that it would be over 2,300 days before she won another title.
That next title would have a prize of $3,000 (£2,200), less than 0.1% of her $3.9m (£2.9m) earnings at Flushing Meadows. She might not have expected to return to the lower tiers of professional tennis. There are no free towels at tournaments and players often have to retrieve their own balls there. After years of injuries, the Canadian player headed to the ITF in a bid to rebuild her career.
A Rapid Rise Followed by Roadblocks
Andreescu’s US Open victory in 2019 followed a year that included titles at Indian Wells and the Canadian Open in Toronto. These wins propelled her up the world rankings.
However, things soon took a turn. A knee injury caused her to take a break at the start of 2020. Then the Covid pandemic paused the tennis calendar. Her return to the court in February 2021 marked her first time playing in 16 months.
Andreescu admits that she was not ready for life as a Grand Slam champion.
“I don’t think it’s possible to really prepare yourself [for a Grand Slam victory], especially if you haven’t gone through that before, but I wish I had a little bit more guidance after the US Open,” Andreescu, now 25, said. “You think you know everything at 19, and I just remember I’m not one to ever ask for help, but I am a little bit better at that now. So maybe if I did, things would have been different.”
Her current coach Dusan Vemic said she had to grow up fast. “You have a different outlook, different points of view on challenges or fun stuff,” Vemic added. “Being a tennis player, being an athlete, you suddenly have a different role. You become a role model for many youngsters.”
Injuries and a Ranking Slump
Andreescu was plagued with injuries. Abdominal and ankle issues kept her away from the court. Her 2025 season was delayed by appendectomy surgery.
Her form suffered, and she has not progressed beyond the fourth round at a Grand Slam since her US Open win. Her ranking fell from a high of world number four in 2019 to 228 earlier this year.
Return to the ITF Tour
At the start of 2026, Andreescu decided to return to the ITF. She had not played at that level since 2018. She swapped life on the WTA Tour for the ITF.
The tournament rankings work from W15 – the lowest level – up to W100. Andreescu was competing in W35 and W75 editions. The total prize pot for a W35 tournament is about £26,000.
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Bianca Andreescu beat Serena Williams 6-3 7-5 to win the US Open in New York.
She had to grow up fast from a carefree teenager to a young woman.