Bianca Andreescu was thrilled to compete in her hometown of Toronto at the 2024 Canadian Open. She got off to a strong start, taking a commanding 6-0 lead. However, she faced a setback as she lost the following two sets, leaving her devastated.
This year, the Canadian tennis player had limited playing time, only recently returning to the courts. While her return to grass at the WTA 250 tournament in Den Bosch was promising, she fell short of winning the trophy, which was disappointing for her.
Undeterred, Andreescu continued to persevere and participated in the Paris Olympics. Despite giving her all on the court, she was unable to secure a medal. Nevertheless, she refused to give up and returned home, where she finally had the opportunity to compete on familiar ground.
The WTA 1000 event in Toronto held great significance for Andreescu. It occurs only every two years and being her hometown event, she cherished the opportunity to play there. Having missed several events in the past year due to injuries, her return was an emotional experience for the 24-year-old athlete.
Andreescu was highly motivated to perform well and had an impressive start in the first round against Lesia Tsurenko, winning the opening set 6-0. Everything seemed to be going according to plan, and the crowd showed immense support for her.
Unfortunately, both Andreescu and the crowd were disappointed as she lost the second and third sets, ultimately losing the match with a score of 6-0, 3-6, 4-6. However, the crowd continued to rally behind her and gave her a warm applause after the match.
During her post-match press conference, Andreescu’s heartbreak was evident as she fought back tears while discussing the match and the painful loss she experienced.
“It was a great experience, especially here in Toronto. Yeah, it’s just really disheartening. I wish… (crying.) Yeah, no, I’ll just finish, it’s okay. I haven’t cried yet, so I guess this is my little crying session here.”
There isn’t much to be said or done after a defeat. The former US Open champion had an opportunity to prove herself on the court and started off strongly by winning the opening set 6-0. However, she couldn’t maintain the same level of play, and Tsurenko staged a remarkable comeback. Andreescu struggled to find the right words after the match.
“Yeah, it’s disappointing. I guess all I can say is that I’m sorry I couldn’t secure the win for you guys. But, yeah, on top of that, I really appreciate all the support and, yeah, see you guys in two years, right? Two years? Yeah. Thanks, guys.”
Her next chance to claim victory will be at the Cincinnati tournament, another WTA 1000 event, which commences next week. In order to succeed, Andreescu will need to improve her consistency, as it remains a challenge for her. While she is capable of delivering exceptional tennis, sustaining it throughout an entire match seems to be a struggle.
Photo from Bianca Andreescu Instagram
