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‘Toughest Decisions I’ve Had to Make’ – Canadian Tennis Star Bianca Andreescu Opens Up on Battling Mental Health Issues
Bianca Andreescu stunned one and all with her giant victory over Serena Williams in the finals of the 2019 US Open. The Canadian recorded her biggest career win to win her maiden Grand Slam title. Further, she became the first Canadian player to win a major singles title. Before her US Open success, Andreescu had already lifted the Indian Wells title and the Canadian Open title.
After the BNP Paribas Open in October, last year, the Canadian star decided to take time off the tour to cope with her mental health struggles. Recently, she opened up about making that decision and how it affected her.
Bianca Andreescu on taking a mental break from tennis
The 21-year-old is in Spain to participate at the Madrid Open. During an interview, she talked about how she coped with her mental health struggles. She said, “It was one of the toughest decisions I’ve had to make in my career. It didn’t come overnight, like I have been feeling some sort of way up until that point for maybe about like actually maybe three months. I was going to say two, but maybe even longer.”
Aug 10, 2021; Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Bianca Andreescu of Canada reacts after losing a point against Harriet Dart of Great Britain (not pictured) during second round play at Stade IGA. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports.
Further, the Canadian added, “I didn’t want to continue putting the people close to me through what I was going through. Not only for myself but for them too because I love them so much. I just felt like it wasn’t fair, I thought of different scenarios, like, Okay, I stop after Indian Wells and then what happens? I take a month off? Will things really change? I don’t know.”
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Talking about the length of her break, Andreescu said, “So I kind of didn’t put a time on it. I just wanted to figure out, you know, what’s good for me and what’s not good for me. I was luckily able to figure that out in five months. It’s pretty long, but at the same time, it’s not. But I think I really used my time wisely. Now I can’t say that I regret that decision. I think it was one of the best ever.”
Andreescu made a comeback at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix last month, where she lost in the second round. However, she is going strong in Madrid and has reached the third round. In the pre-quarterfinals, she will take on the 12th seed, Jessica Pegula, of the United States.
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