'I broke the curse': The dramatic decline and resurgence of a teenage Grand Slam star

In September 2019, Arthur Ashe Stadium was awash with glittering confetti as 19-year-old Bianca Andreescu raised the US Open trophy, her face beaming. Having just defeated the legendary Serena Williams, the Canadian had reached the zenith of her sport. At that moment, it was impossible to foresee that more than 2,300 days would pass before she claimed another title, or that her next victory would carry a prize of just $3,000 (£2,200)—a stark contrast to the $3.9m (£2.9m) she had earned at Flushing Meadows.

Nor could she have predicted that she would eventually return to the lower echelons of professional tennis, a realm where players must retrieve their own balls and are not provided with complimentary towels. Following a series of debilitating injuries, this was the path Andreescu chose to rebuild a career that had once seemed limitless. Her US Open triumph was the capstone to a magical year that also saw her win the Indian Wells title and the Canadian Open in her hometown of Toronto, rocketing her up the world rankings and announcing her arrival on the global stage.

However, her trajectory soon shifted. A knee injury forced a hiatus at the start of 2020, followed by the global pause of the tennis calendar due to the pandemic. When she finally stepped back onto the court in February 2021, it marked her first appearance in 16 months. Andreescu now admits she was ill-prepared for the realities of life as a Grand Slam champion.

"I don't think it's possible to really prepare yourself [for a Grand Slam victory], especially if you haven't gone through that before, but I wish I had a little bit more guidance after the US Open," the 25-year-old told BBC Sport. "You think you know everything at 19, and I just remember I'm not one to ever ask for help, but I am a little bit better at that now. So maybe if I did, things would have been different."

Her current coach, Dusan Vemic, noted the rapid maturation required of her. "She had to grow up fast from a carefree teenager to a young woman that she is now," he explained. "You have a different outlook, different points of view on challenges or fun stuff. Being a tennis player, being an athlete, you suddenly have a different role. You become a role model for many youngsters."

Injuries continued to plague Andreescu, with abdominal and ankle issues keeping her sidelined. Her 2025 season was further delayed by surgery for an appendectomy. Consequently, her form deteriorated, and she failed to advance past the fourth round of any Grand Slam since her 2019 victory. Her ranking plummeted from a high of world number four in 2019 to 228 earlier this year.

By the start of 2026, Andreescu made the decision to return to the ITF tour, an environment she had last navigated in 2018, swapping the WTA Tour for the developmental circuit. The ITF rankings range from W15, the lowest tier, up to W100. Andreescu competed in W35 and W75 events, where the total prize money for a W35 tournament is approximately £26,000. This tour typically features young players trying to break through, veterans who couldn't crack the WTA, or those seeking to regain their form.

While crowds may be small and line judges scarce, the on-court competition is intense. "The hunger the women had that I was playing against, every match was so difficult, and I feel like maybe on the WTA Tour, the athletes are maybe a bit more comfortable with certain things," Andreescu observed. "Certain things are getting paid for [on the WTA Tour]. But on that [ITF] level, nothing's getting paid for, and you're barely breaking even. I was there too at one point, so I know how it is."

She emphasized that the ITF circuit should not be underestimated. "I don't want people to get the idea that the ITF tour is Mickey Mouse compared to the WTA Tour, because that's not the case. I feel a lot of admiration and respect for the women that continue to grind on the tour, because it's not easy, even on the WTA Tour, it's just not easy."

Vemic, who joined Andreescu’s team in September 2025, concurred. "Every player there needs to prove themselves and everyone is hungry and they're not bored of playing many years on tour," he said.

Source: BBC News Generated at: 2026-05-19 07:34:27 UTC