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Bianca Andreescu is set to return to the WTA Tour after a long sabbatical from tennis due to injuries. The Canadian is scheduled to make her comeback at the Grand Prix de Son Altesse Royale La Princesse Lalla Meryem in Rabat, Morocco, which is set to kick off from May 19 to May 25, 2024.
The last time the 2019 US Open winner played a match was at last season's Canadian Open, where she lost 6-3, 6-2 to Camila Giorgi in the second round.
Andreescu recently appeared on the Match Point Canada podcast and was asked about what she missed since being on the sidelines. In response, the Canadian compared her time off the court to when she missed most of the 2020 and 2021 seasons due to injuries and a COVID-19 infection.
She stated that during this recent time recovering from injury, she discovered new hobbies such as her passion for spirituality, painting, and martial arts. This discovery helped her get back on track faster and improved her mental health.
“I feel like I've discovered a lot of things about myself. Maybe if I hadn't had this time off the slopes, I wouldn't know about my passion for spirituality or martial arts, or even painting. All of that comes from not having an identity,” Andreescu said as quoted by Punto de break.
"I complete myself through sports. I want to have other hobbies, otherwise I go crazy. That's what happened to me when I had a mental break in 2021 and I didn't like how I felt. Having these tools not only help me in my life, but also on the track, I will enjoy it more. That's how I was last year, for example, and I feel that it will improve. Mental health has a very important place in my life, it is everything. If you are not well in that aspect, neither. Will you be physically or emotionally," she added.
Bianca Andreescu on getting used to injuries - “I have never had a whole year without problems”
In the same interview, the 23-year-old also said that she is used to injuries and has never had a whole year without sustaining an injury. However, she was optimistic and focused on physically doing her best.
"I hate to say this, but I am used to these situations due to injuries, although I hope to never be like this again. I have never had a whole year without problems and my focus now has been to prepare well physically to do my best," Bianca Andreescu said.
She also added that she now understands the entire process of dealing with injuries and how to move forward from them
“The good thing about being I'm used to it because I know how to process it and how to move forward with it.”
2019 was the Canadian's most successful year since she turned pro. She won the US Open, the Canadian Open (defeating Serena Williams in both finals), along with the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells and the Canadian Open.
Bianca Andreescu's prolonged absence from tour has seen her ranking plummet to 225.
