By Scoop Malinowski | Saturday, January 17, 2026Photo credit: Matthew Calvis
Pro tennis is no laughing matter, but Bianca Andreescu has learned to endure the highs and lows with a smile on her face.
Beset by a litany of injury in recent years, Andreescu said she has to laugh to keep from going crazy.
“All I could think about is, honestly, like why, again?” Andreescu said last fall after beating two-time major champion Barbora Krejcikova in Montreal, and suffering torn ligaments in her ankle in the process. “I think I even screamed out, “Why does this keep happening to me?” Yeah, just a bunch of emotions. I was super overwhelmed obviously playing in front of home crowd. Winning the match, right?
“It was match point for me, and it was just crazy. It was crazy. I started laughing at one pointbecause, honestly, at this point it’s laughable. For me it’s just crazy. It’s crazy. I’m trying to stay positive,but it’s getting really tough. It’s getting really tough.”
The 2019 US Open champion Andreescu is showing toughness and tenacity in her tennis comeback.
While top players are chasing millions of dollars and their tennis dreams in Melbourne at this month’s Australian Open, Andreescu competes in Bradenton Palma Sola this week in a low level ITF World Tennis Tour event.
The 25-year-old Canadian, currently ranked No. 225 in the WTA rankings, is launching her come back from the ankle injury she suffered last year. Instead of attempting to try to qualify for the Australian Open, Andreescu decided to make the unprecedented move to drop down to play in Bradenton at Inspiration Academy in Palma Sola. The total prize money on the line for all rounds singles and doubles is $30,000.
Andreescu, who came to Bradenton from Boca Raton on Saturday with her dad Nicu, coach and fitness coach, arrived hours before her match on Tuesday against qualifier Malkia Ngounoue, ranked 1223 in the world. She hit and played some points with her new coach Dusan Vemic, who coached Novak Djokovic last year, and then she sat and watched most of a long three setter, No. 2 seed Bradenton resident Hina Inoue, ranked 238, who defeated Hong Kong’s Kallista Liu, ranked 1017.
When it was time to play, Andreescu showed the flashes of brilliance which propelled her to Rogers Cup and US Open final wins vs Serena Williams in 2019. Andreescu’s speed, variety of shots, pinpoint accuracy and mental toughness of a Grand Slam champion were on display for a dozen or so fans on a small court in Bradenton, compared to the huge, packed stadiums she is accustomed to playing.
Bianca Andreescu with author Scoop Malinowski during their interview.Photo credit: Nicu Andreescu
I caught up with Bianca for this spontaneous interview after she came on court. In conversation, she was energetic, thoughtful and funny.
Status: World No. 225. 2019 US Open champion. Former world No. 4. Winner of three WTA singles titles.
Born: June 16, 2000 in Mississauga, Ontario
First Tennis Memory: Back in the day I think I was under 9s I would play guys, girls would play against boys. And I remember it was my first ever tournament and I beat a guy – first ever tournament in London (Ontario). I remember that very clearly. He cried after. I was much taller than him. He was crying in the picture too [smiles].
Tennis Inspirations: I would definitely say Kim Clijsters, somebody I admired growing up. Even when she came back I had the opportunity to also play doubles with her, this was in 2020 in Indian Wells and then Covid hit. And even now we keep in contact, so it’s really nice.
Last Book Read: I just finished. I re-read it. It’s Don Miguel Ruiz, The Mastery Of Love. It’s basically all about: Life is sharing love, receiving love from others, basically being like the mother taking care of everybody around you but not forgetting about yourself.
Current Car: Mercedez GLX (black) but my dream car is Ferrari Roma Spyder, like a coupe.
First Famous Player You Met Or Encountered: Hmmm… Simona Halep. I took a picture with her when I was 13 of 14 at Wimbledon juniors. And I also looked up to her, being Romanian. It was cool.
Favorite Artists: I have a few I really like, Lil Wayne, I like Drake. And also Julia Wolf, she’s an up and coming artist, it’s more like indy rock. Getting into different kind of genres now.
Favorite Ice Cream Flavor: These questions are funny [smiles]. I don’t even remember when I got asked these types of questions. Birthday cake. Love it.
Greatest Moment Of Career: I know everybody expects me to say US Open but honestly – it’s now National Bank Open – but it was Rogers Cup. I think because it was my first time playing Serena and also being at home was just incredible. Had my family and friends watching. Those were the courts I grew up on. I would say that and then US Open.
Most Painful Career Moment: I think… oh my gosh… too many… But the most painful… honestly, I think last year when I twisted my ankle. Or in Miami Open in 2023. I guess I just didn’t expect those to happen. (Ankle?) Ankle, both ankles.
Favorite Tournaments: Indian Wells. US Open. And NBO. The ones I won I guess [smiles]. And I just love the atmosphere. I just love those tournaments. Indian Wells is one of the best.
Why Do You Love Tennis: I think I just love the challenge aspect of it. I think tennis is a great metaphor for life. It teaches you so much, as a kid, I guess the love changed. I love competing. I loved just hitting the ball, I loved making winners. Just basically expressing myself. Now it turned more into the challenge and grit aspect. And then overcoming those challenges. And then being able to inspire people, this is a beautiful thing I would say.
Funny Tennis Memory: I remember – honestly it gives me PTSD – now I don’t care, when I was 14, I think you (her dad Nicu) were there. I lost my shoe during a match. It came off my foot. I just remember being so embarrassed. But now looking back it’s really funny. And then I would say after I won US Open, somebody said they bet I think it was $50k on me to win. And then like the return was like $500,000. Something stupid like that. So I think I helped change someone’s life [smiles].
And another was in under 12s or 14s, somewhere in the middle of nowhere, I forgot my shoes. And it was a drive. I think like an hour and a half drive – we would always do the drive after every match. And during the finals, when we got there, we realized I didn’t have any shoes. So my opponent gave me her shoes and they were a size bigger too. I don’t think I won. So don’t forget your shoes, kids [smiles]. Moral of the story.
Best You Ever Felt On Court: I would say the first one that comes to mind – Beatriz Haddad Maia US Open 2021 or 2022. I just remember being in like complete flow… I was coming to the net, like, nothing mattered to me. That was the first one that comes into my head. And then against Muguruza at Indian Wells. It was like 0 and 1 and again, I was just like in the zone, flowing, I was there before the ball basically. It’s like that kind of feeling… it’s hard to get in the zone like that. That is what we are all kind of striving for but I think it happens very rarely. She was top 10 or 15 at the time.
Strangest Match: One of the ball kids or line judges fainted because it was so hot. An ITF in Kansas City or in that area. I played a lot of ITFs.
Favorite Sport Outside Tennis: I’ve been following a lot of hockey and basketball, not recently, more like a few years ago. But I want to get back into it.
People Qualities Most Admired: I think compassion, having composure, not only for other people but also for themselves. And being a tennis player, it’s really hard but when a person shows great composure on the court and compassion for themselves, I think it’s a great quality to have. And then vice versa, having compassion for the people around them. And then being very respectful for everybody no matter who they are, a waitress, a janitor or whoever it is. And then not taking themselves too seriously, because I feel like life is already so serious in general, they can keep like a light-hearted outlook on life… thank you, that was great [our interview].
Author Scoop Malinowski has covered pro tennis for three decades and is an accomplished USTA player who has held national rankings in recent years. He is the author of the new book Facing Andre Agassi. You can read an excerpt from Facing Andre Agassi here.
