Canada’s Bianca Andreescu: the down to earth Drake fan taking women’s tennis by storm after Indian Wells win and WTA rise
- The 18-year-old Canadian came out of nowhere to win at Indian Wells in March and is now on the tennis radar
- Andreescu puts her calmness on court in California down to meditation, visualisation and natural ability
Canadian tennis star Bianca Andreescu’s meteoric rise can be summed up in one number: 36
That is how many spots in the rankings the 18-year-old, who hails from Ontario, rocketed up the standings after winning the women’s singles at Indian Wells in mid-March. In January, she sat 152nd before upsetting Caroline Wozniacki in the second round of the Auckland Open.
Before Indian Wells she sat 60th on the WTA rankings, and came in as a wild card.
After beating German Angelique Kerber 6-4, 3-6, 6-4, she was US$1.3 million richer, ranked 24th in the world (she has since inched up to 23rd) and became an overnight sensation within the tennis community.
The right-hander said the following weeks were “a crazy ride” and said she did not really have time to digest it.
“At first, I don’t think it had sunk in because I went right into playing the Miami Open. I was really just focused on that tournament, but now that I have had some time, I am just so proud of myself and am excited for the future. I have worked hard over the years and it’s just honestly really exciting to see all my hard work pay off.”