"I got goosebumps when I walked onto Armstrong, it brought me back to 2019"- Bianca Andreescu ahead of 2021 US Open
Bianca Andreescu is all set to commence her 2021 US Open campaign next week. The Canadian is returning to the New York Major for the first time since winning the event in 2019. She missed the tournament last year due to injury.
The 21-year-old has struggled for form heading into the final Major of the year. She managed just one win in Montreal before falling at the first hurdle in Cincinnati. Nevertheless, Andreescu is hoping to find her best tennis in New York and get a lot of matches under her belt.
In her pre-tournament press conference, Andreescu said she's happy to be back at the US Open. She revealed that walking onto the Louis Armstrong Stadium gave her "goosebumps" and brought back memories of her remarkable run to the title in 2019.
"Yeah, I'm very happy to be back," said Andreescu. "I got goosebumps when I walked onto Armstrong the first day. It just brought me back to 2019. It's nice to have those feelings going into a tournament. So I'm feeling good, and I'm healthy, so it's great."
Since her breakthrough season in 2019, Andreescu has struggled to live up to expectations, mainly due to her constant battle with injuries. The Canadian believes her intense schedule in 2019 may have been a reason for the injuries that followed.
But the Canadian reckons she is in a "really good place" at the moment. She also emphasized how she needs to play more matches to build confidence.
"I feel like in 2019, it was just tennis, tennis, tennis. I got burnt out towards the end of the year. I don't know, that probably correlated to injuries," said Andreescu."
"I'm in a really good place right now," admitted the Canadian. "But that whole, like, confidence thing, I'm just going to have to play matches. Mentally is super important, too. I'm trying to stay patient. If I do all of that, I know I'm going to get back to or get to where I want to be."
Naomi Osaka enters the 2021 US Open as the defending champion. The Japanese has won three of the last five hardcourt Majors and is one of the favorites to triumph at Flushing Meadows this year.
Andreescu, for her part, believes Osaka is the "face of hard court tennis". The Canadian also went on to express her appreciation for Osaka's stance on mental health.
"She's kind of like the face of hard court tennis. It's really nice to have her alongside me and so many other players. She definitely motivates me to do better. She's a very nice person, as well. I love that she speaks up for mental health and all that stuff. I respect her a lot," revealed the World No.7.
"I don't know if anyone can compete with Denis"- Bianca Andreescu on Denis Shapovalov's singing career
Bianca Andreescu is a big fan of rap music, and Drake in particular. However, when asked to name her favorite Canadian rapper, Andreescu joked that fellow tennis player Denis Shapovalov had stepped up his singing game.
Shapovalov, who is currently ranked No. 10 in the world in the men's rankings, has already released two rap singles. According to Andreescu, Shapovalov venturing into music adds a "different vibe" to tennis.
Andreescu went on to admit that she likes listening to Drake as well as The Weeknd and Jessie Reyez.
"I don't know if someone can compete with Denis really," Andreescu joked. "He's really been stepping up his game. Honestly I think Denis is a really good rapper. It's really nice that he's doing that because it brings a different vibe to the tennis game, and I feel like we need that."
"Other than Denis, though, I really like Drake. I listen to a lot of The Weeknd and Jessie Reyez."
Andreescu will face Switzerland's Viktorija Golubic in the first round of the 2021 US Open.