"I don't like to see this number next to my name, I can do much better" - Bianca Andreescu vows to re-enter top 10 before end of 2023
Canadian tennis player Bianca Andreescu has set some lofty goals for herself for the rest of the 2023 season.
Andreescu hasn't had the best year so far, failing to reach a single final in 2023 and dropping to World No. 44 spot in the WTA rankings.
Most recently, the 23-year-old Canadian lost to Ukraine's Marta Kostyuk, 6-2, 3-6, 6-7(5), in the first round of the Citi Open in Washington.
"It hasn't been an easy season, but I've learned a lot about myself on and off the court. I have a good support team. That's my biggest achievement of the year, having found a team that I feel like a family," Andreescu said, per BolaAmarela.
Andreescu was ranked No. 4 in 2019 after winning the US Open, where she defeated the legendary Serena Williams, 6-3, 7-5, in the final of her maiden Grand Slam run.
The Canadian has since been hit by a plethora of injuries, which has halted her rise to stardom and more Major titles, as she currently stands on the verge of exiting the top 50. Saying that she did not like looking at the ranking next to her name now, Andreescu vowed to re-enter the top 20 before the end of the year, even the top 10 if she can manage to do so.
"I don't like to see this number next to my name, I know I can do much better than this. My goal for the end of the season is to be in the top 20 in the world, hopefully in the top 10," Andreescu said.
"I have to go tournament by tournament and play more games to gain confidence. I need to do more than three matches per tournament. I'm working hard and it will pay off," she added.
Even though her results in 2023 haven't been up to her expectations, Andreescu held her head high and looked at the positives, saying:
"I haven't had too much momentum in recent months, with the exception of Wimbledon, but that was six weeks ago. I try to stay in the present, I don't like to think too much about the future. It's wonderful for women's tennis that every round is tough. It's the beautiful side of our sport."
Bianca Andreescu could schedule a blockbuster duel with Petra Kvitova at Canadian Open 2023
Bianca Andreescu has received a wild card for this year's Canadian Open, which is being held in Montreal from August 7.
Andreescu doesn't yet know who her opponent will be at the Canadian Open first round, but it is possible she meets Petra Kvitova in the second round.
The Czech received a bye in the first round, and if Andreescu bests her first-round opponent, the fans might get a second duel between the two. Andreescu defeated Kvitova in their first encounter, 3-6, 6-2, 6-0, at the 2022 Guadalajara Open.
The Canadian hasn't gotten past the third round of her home crowd tournament since 2019, when she won the title after Serena Williams retired from their clash in the final.