Is Bianca Andreescu playing at the 2022 Indian Wells?
Bianca Andreescu quickly ascended to the top of the women's game during her breakthrough season in 2019. However, injury troubles have kept her away from the tour for quite some time now. The 2022 Indian Wells Open is currently underway and the Canadian is absent from the tournament that shot her into the limelight.
In 2019, she reached her first career final at the Auckland Open, losing to Julia Goerges in three sets. She defeated former World No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki along the way. The Canadian then won her maiden career title at the Indian Wells Open.
She defeated players like Garbine Muguruza, Elina Svitolina and Angelique Kerber to lift her first trophy. Andreescu later won her first Grand Slam title at the US Open, defeating Serena Williams in straight sets in the final.
Her success is equally rivaled by her injuries. Andreescu missed the start of the 2020 season due to a knee injury. The onset of the pandemic caused the world to come to a standstill. However, she didn't return upon the resumption of the tour in the second half of 2020.
Andreescu made her comeback at the 2021 Australian Open, but was upset in the second round by Hsieh Su-wei. At the Miami Open, she made it to the final, but had to retire due to an injury halfway through the match. She then tested positive for COVID-19 in April, causing her to miss a couple of tournaments.
The rest of the Canadian's season was rather average, with a fourth-round showing at the US Open being her best result. The 2021 Indian Wells Open was held in October instead of its usual March slot.
Returning to the site of her breakthrough after more than two years, Andreescu's title defense ended in the third round against Anett Kontaveit. She ended the year ranked 46th and hasn't competed since then.
Bianca Andreescu is yet to play a match in 2022
Andreescu decided to skip the 2022 Australian Open in order to focus on her mental well-being. She stated that the last couple of years have been tough for her emotionally and felt like she needed some time away from the tour to recover.
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Andreescu then attended the "Wisdom and Well-being Program" in Costa Rica. The wellness retreat, organized by Blue Spirit Costa Rica, aims to transform and rejuvenate people to aid their personal growth.
Around this time, the initial entry list for the 2022 Indian Wells Open was announced and the Canadian's name was missing, indicating her absence from yet another tournament.
Bianca Andreescu hasn't revealed any plans regarding her return to the tour so far. Expectations were sky high following her incredible achievements in 2019, but have been gradually reset over the years. The Canadian is a great competitor and has a very high ceiling. The tennis community at large will be eagerly awaiting her return.