Highlights:
- Bianca Andreescu announces break and time off the court to regain focus while prioritising mental health at present.
- Former World Np. 1, Naomi Osaka, in the past had also necessitated breaks from tournaments to gather herself mentally
- Andreescu would not be playing the Australian Open and preparing for tennis season next year
With a view to “reset, recover and grow”, 2019 US Open Champion Bianca Andreescu announced that she would take a break from tennis including the Australian Open. She opened up about the testing times she experienced during the last two years where she also got infected with Covid-19.
The 21-year old tennis star took to Twitter where she made revelations about how spending numerous weeks in isolation during the quarantine period impacted her adversely in addition to her grandmother’s stay at a hospital’s intensive care unit which escalated her mental agony.
Andreescu revealed feeling detached from herself while training or playing matches and felt burdened by the weight of the world on her shoulders. The situation prevailing off the court distracted her accumulating a feeling of sadness which eventually took a toll on her, she added.
Other athletes in the past, including former Tennis world No. 1 and four-time Grand Slam singles champion, Naomi Osaka have also mentioned the need for a break, away from court, in order to uplift mental and emotional well-being. Naomi took a gap ahead of pulling out of the French Open in May and then again after suffering a loss at the US Open in September, not playing for the remaining season.
Andreescu’s uproar happened when she was 19 and beat her idol, Serena Williams, at the US Open final in the year 2018. Not long after that, Andreesu soared up to a career-best No 4 in the WTA (Women’s Tennis Association) rankings.
However, in 2019, Bianca endured a meniscus tear in her left knee and was out of the tour with a 15 month recovery period. Andreescu was back in form at the Australian Open this year. She defeated her opponent in the opening match in Melbourne, however losing in round two.
She concluded at 4-4 in Grand Slams in 2021, inclusive of a fourth-round run at the US Open and first-round eliminations at the French Open and Wimbledon. Serena opinionated that Andreescu has a really bright future and is astonishingly mature for someone of her age.
Andreescu culminated the season with an overall 17-12 mark and no titles so far, ranking at 46 at the start of 2022. She was infected with Covid in April and in June revealed that her long time coach, Sylvian Bruneau would not be coaching her going forward. Bianca has not given any clarity so far about when she will be back in court.