Four Takeaways from Bianca Andreescu’s Players’ Tribune Article

Ahead of the U.S. Open where, five years ago, she became the first Canadian to capture a Grand Slam singles title, Bianca Andreescu has written an article for the Players’ Tribune about her journey on and off the court since shocking the tennis world by winning Indian Wells as a wild card in 2019.

The article is poignant and powerful. Here are four things we learned beyond the fact that “Hot Girl Summer” by Megan Thee Stallion is now playing on repeat.

She’s Built for the Game’s Biggest Stages

The 24-year-old spoke about feeling somewhat invincible at the height of her powers during a remarkable 2019 campaign that saw her win three big tournaments and reach no. 5 in the world. A 17-match win streak during your rookie year on Tour will do that for you. It didn’t matter the opponent, the round, the score or how she was managing physically, she believed she could win. The more grandiose the occasion, the better she performed. Nothing phased her and her fellow competitors knew it. Even today as she tries to find her way back, the ability to raise her level when the spotlight shines brightest is still there.   

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She Found the Mindset to Beat Serena

Winning a Grand Slam is the pinnacle for every tennis player, but to top Serena Williams, the greatest of all-time, to raise the coveted trophy is the ultimate achievement. Not to mention that Andreescu also won the National Bank Open presented by Rogers in Toronto a month earlier when Williams was forced to retire three games into the marquee final. So, how did Andreescu do it? With the help of some reverse psychology courtesy of Sylvain Bruneau, her coach at the time, who encouraged her to shift her mindset and think about how she can strike fear in Serena as the underdog with nothing to lose rather than the other way around. She embraced the calming confidence this advice gave her, and the rest is history.

She Lost her Joy in Tennis…

With great success comes fame and expectations. Life comes at you fast when you’re on top and Andreescu learned that the hard way. Her body couldn’t handle the strain of competing against the best in the world week in and week out. She was constantly injured and tired, the losses started to pile up and she lost her motivation to the point where she didn’t feel like she deserved her fans’ support. At Indian Wells in 2021, she decided to take a break from tennis. 

…And has Found it Again  

During her hiatus, Andreescu tapped into her spirituality (she believes in the power of manifestation and practices mindfulness) and turned to meditation to find answers. The process led her down a path of acceptance and helped her realize that she can make a difference for people. She found purpose and rediscovered her love for tennis which means she’s back where she belongs, on the court inspiring others to be the best version of themselves.