"I try to have that big picture in mind all the time" - Bianca Andreescu on dealing with the pandemic and injuries
Bianca Andreescu’s 2019 season was one for the history books. She won a series of events on hardcourt, including Indian Wells and the Canadian Open, beating multiple top 10 players en route.
Andreescu's fairytale run culminated with a triumphant run at the US Open in New York. That made her the first Canadian to ever lift a Major singles title, and cemented her status as one of the top talents in the women’s game.
But injuries played spoilsport soon after, and in conjunction with COVID-19, disrupted her upward rise. Bianca Andreescu hasn't played much over the last year and a half, and has reached only one final (Miami this year) since the 2019 US Open.
At her Eastbourne International press conference earlier this week, Andreescu spoke about her struggles in detail. In particular, the 21-year-old explained how she deals with injuries and misfortune by looking at the big picture.
"To me, I try to have the mindset of everything happens for a reason, and it's kind of just helped me for the bigger picture and my purpose in life, and I want to try to take every moment as a positive in a way," Andreescu said.
"Even though it could seem like the world is crashing down, I made sure to stay as grateful as I could," she added. "Because, like, other people have it way worse, you know, so that really keeps me going. I try to have that big picture in mind all the time."
"After doing so well in 2019, I get injured" - Bianca Andreescu
Bianca Andreescu went on to address her well-documented injury issues in detail, pointing out that they came at the worst possible time - right after her super-successful 2019, and right before the pandemic took hold.
"After doing so well in 2019, I get injured," Andreescu said. "I'm off for six months. I'm ready to play Indian Wells, first tournament back, and then literally that tournament is when everything started. I was there for three days and everyone said it's canceled and I had to go back."
Even as the tennis tour resumed in the latter half of 2020, the Canadian found herself constantly struggling to shake off her physical problems. She eventually withdrew from the US Open, where she would have entered as the defending champion.
"I was just at home, I don't know how long, like six, seven months," Andreescu went on. "I mean, I was training for sure here and there, but it was a pandemic. There were so many restrictions."
Bianca Andreescu's woes did ease off in the first quarter of 2021, as she made an inspired run into the final in Miami. The obstacles, however, resumed soon after; a positive COVID test result upon landing in Madrid postponed the Canadian’s start to the clay-court season.
Bianca Andreescu is now looking to win her first career main-draw win on grass in Eastbourne. She would be hoping to make the most of her experience with Grand Slam success next week, as she enters Wimbledon as a seeded player for the first time in her career.