“Getting into that mentality, the groove of 2019, is kind of the only thing I look at” – Andreescu after first win in 10 months
The Canadian will take on 23rd seed Anna Kalinskaya in the second round of the French Open
Bianca Andreescu, Roland-Garros 2022
Image Credit: Chryslene Caillaud / Panoramic
There was little seen or heard from Bianca Andreescu in the days leading up to the French Open. The 2019 US Open champion, now aged 23, had not played since last August due to a stress fracture in her back – the latest in a series of setbacks that have hampered her tennis career over the past four years.
However, on Monday, Andreescu scored her first win since Wimbledon last June as she overcame the battle-hard Spaniard Sara Sorribes Tormo 7-5, 6-1 to move into the second round at Roland-Garros. Now ranked No 228 in the world, the Canadian is constantly asked about comparisons to her breakout 2019 season – something she admits that she thinks about a lot herself.
“For me it’s inevitable because I do like to think a lot. I’m definitely an over-thinker; I think about the past, the future, everything. So I do want to use the past to help me now,” Andreescu told the media. “Like, how I played in 2019 was incredible, and I do want to … more (tap into) the mentality that I had going into 2019. It was super fearless, very competitive, I fought for everything, doesn’t matter if I was down 5-0 or I was up 5-0, it was always the same mindset. I feel like that’s what I kind of lost over the years, and I have no idea why or how. But just getting into that mentality, the groove of 2019, is kind of the only thing I look at (comparatively).”
“I never want to be a burden to people so I try not to speak my mind as often as I know I can. So I have to learn to be more open” – Andreescu
Andreescu has learnt to live with the ‘what-ifs’ but her breaks from the sport, either due to physical injuries or break to deal her with her mental health, has helped her detach herself from the sport and focus on other aspects of her life.
“At first, it was very frustrating, but I had to accept it. That’s kind of my mindset now: I can’t change the past. I’ve done that a lot, to go back in the past and think, what if? I’ve learned through everyday practice to accept what is and basically do what you can with what you have. That helps a lot.”
The Canadian still has the burning desire to win but said she is learning to be more open about her inner feelings.
“I want to win, but I can definitely say now it didn’t work so well in the past for me,” she said. “”I’m a very emotional person, and I hold a lot in. I never want to be a burden to people so I try not to speak my mind as often as I know I can. So I have to learn to be more open.”
Andreescu will return to the courts in Paris for a second round showdown against 23rd seed Anna Kalinskaya on Wednesday.
