"Give me six months and I really believe that I can do really good" - Bianca Andreescu aims for Top 10 return in 2023
Bianca Andreescu ended the 2021 season with a lot of uncertainty regarding her future in tennis, even contemplating moving away from the sport at one time during her six-month break from the tour. However, she has a very different mindset at the end of the 2022 season, exuding confidence about her game and level in 2023.
The 2019 US Open champion has played just 31 tour-level matches this season, having a rather up-and-down 19-12 win-loss record. While the numbers suggest Andreescu has not been competitive by the standards she has set for herself over the last few years, the 22-year-old highlighted that she has fallen on the wrong side of many closely contested matches against top players.
Speaking during a recent episode of the Match Point Canada podcast, Andreescu vowed to get back to her best in six months and aims to work towards her goal in pre-season training ahead of the 2023 season.
"I do believe that for me right now it's literally just a couple of points here and there that is kind of the deciding point for me," Bianca Andreescu said. "I know that if I have a great pre-season this year, I think next year, maybe give me six months and I really believe that I can do really good."
The Canadian dropped outside the Top 100 in the WTA Rankings during her break from the tour, but has made it back inside the Top 50 and is currently ranked 46th. However, the former world No. 4 aims to return to the Top 10 sooner rather than later and believes that her performances against top-ranked players of late will hold her in good stead.
"I definitely don't like seeing myself in the Top 50. I definitely want to get back to that Top 10 spot. But I know that this year I've lost to good players, and they've been pretty close. I wouldn't say that I got swept off the court. Having that experience this year compared to last year against all these top players, I think it's a totally different thing," Andreescu added.
"I definitely feel that I've improved tremendously; I'm maturing day by day" - Bianca Andreescu
Bianca Andreescu feels that she has improved at a professional as well as a personal level this year, dealing with her performances and everything else that accompanies the life of a top tennis player better than she did last year. Meanwhile, the Canadian superstar opened up about her personal growth as well and believes she has matured a lot. For Andreescu, the focus is on being her "own independent individual."
"I definitely feel that I've improved tremendously since last year," Bianca Andreescu expressed. "I feel like I'm just dealing with everything better, meaning the losses, even the wins, the media. Just being my own independent individual. Outside the court as well, I feel like I'm maturing day by day and gaining so many different experiences and perspectives on a lot, and I'm absorbing things in a healthier way."
While she has been happy with her progress since making a comeback in April at the Stuttgart Open, the Ontario native highlighted the aspects of her game she wants to work harder on, mainly her serve.
"Technically, I would always love for my serve to improve. My shot selection can also always use some tweaking here and there. Overall, I'm just super happy with how everything turned out physically as well," Andreescu explained.
Andreescu will take to the court this week, representing Team Canada in the Billie Jean King Cup Finals, alongside the likes of Leylah Fernandez and Rebecca Marino, among others.