"I broke the curse": The dramatic ascent and subsequent struggle of a teenage Grand Slam titleholder

In September 2019, amidst a shower of glittering confetti on the iconic Arthur Ashe Stadium, Bianca Andreescu raised the US Open trophy with a radiant smile. At just 19 years old, the Canadian had just defeated tennis legend Serena Williams, reaching the absolute zenith of the sport. In that euphoric moment, she could not have imagined that more than 2,300 days would pass before she claimed another championship. Furthermore, she could not have predicted that her next victory would come with a modest $3,000 (£2,200) prize—a figure representing less than 0.1% of the $3.9m (£2.9m) she earned from her triumph at Flushing Meadows.

She likely did not foresee a return to the lower echelons of professional tennis, a realm where tournaments do not provide complimentary towels and athletes frequently retrieve their own balls. However, after enduring years of physical setbacks, this was the path the Canadian chose to reconstruct her promising career. Her US Open win had capped a remarkable year that also featured titles at Indian Wells and the Canadian Open in her native Toronto, rocketing her up the global rankings. She had firmly announced her presence on the world stage, but shortly thereafter, her trajectory began to falter.

A knee injury forced a hiatus at the beginning of 2020, followed by a global pause in the tennis calendar due to the Covid-19 pandemic. When she finally stepped onto the court in February 2021, it marked her first match in 16 months. Andreescu later admitted that she was unprepared 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 now 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, highlighted the rapid maturation required during this period. "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."

Physical ailments continued to hinder Andreescu’s progress. Issues with her abdomen and ankle kept her sidelined, and her 2025 season was postponed due to appendectomy surgery. Consequently, her performance declined, and she failed to advance past the fourth round of any Grand Slam following her US Open win. Her ranking plummeted from a career-high of world number four in 2019 to 228 earlier this year. In early 2026, she made the decision to return to an environment she had not accessed since 2018, leaving the WTA Tour for the ITF circuit.

The ITF ranking system ranges 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 is typically populated by young players seeking recognition, women who could not break into the WTA, or competitors attempting to regain their former form. While crowds are often sparse and line judges are 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 noted. "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 the seriousness of the lower tiers, stating, "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 coaching team in September 2025, shared this perspective. "Every player there needs to prove themselves and everyone is hungry and they're not bored of playing many years on tour," he said. "They're all driven..."

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