Young Tennis Sensation Bianca Andreescu withdraws From US Open 2023 Due To Injury

Bianca Andreescu, the winner of the 2019 U.S. Open, withdrew from the final Grand Slam tournament of the year On Saturday, due to a back injury.

After officially withdrawing from the women’s singles draw on Saturday, the Canadian player, now 23 years old, will be absent from the event for the second time since she claimed the championship in her debut tournament at the age of 19. During that year, she made history as the first player from Canada to win a Grand Slam singles title and as the youngest US Open champion in over a decade.

Paula Badosa has also pulled out due to an injury, leading to the need for a new opponent for Venus Williams in the first round.

Both players will be replaced in the women’s singles bracket by athletes who either qualified for the main event or were unsuccessful in the qualifying matches.

Earlier this month, the Canadian competitor revealed that she had received a diagnosis of a “minor stress fracture” in her back, which resulted in her withdrawal from the WTA 1000 event in Cincinnati held the previous week. She initially began experiencing discomfort during the first hard-court event of the summer, the Mubadala Citi DC Open. Despite her efforts to recover in time for her next appearance in Montreal, she struggled during her matches there, particularly in her first-round loss to Camila Giorgi, where she mentioned dealing with pain in her SI joint, a recurring issue.

In an August 12 social media post, Andreescu stated, “My primary focus will be on giving my back the necessary rest. I’ll be taking things day by day and aiming to make a comeback on the court as soon as possible, maintaining an optimistic outlook for the US Open. Your support means everything to me.”

The U.S. Tennis Association verified Andreescu’s withdrawal but did not disclose the specific nature of the injury. However, in her previous withdrawal from the Cincinnati tournament, Andreescu openly shared on social media that she had suffered a minor stress fracture in her back.

For the New York event, Andreescu was scheduled to compete against Lesia Tsurenko in the opening round.

The action is set to commence at Flushing Meadows on Monday.

Hailing from Canada, Andreescu, now 23, achieved a ranking as high as No. 4 in the past and is presently positioned at No. 51.

Her victory over Serena Williams in the U.S. Open final four years ago, when she was a teenager, remains a pivotal moment in her career. This accomplishment established Andreescu as the first player to secure the women’s title in New York during her inaugural appearance in the tournament.

Although Badosa held a No. 2 ranking in the previous year, she currently holds the No. 46 spot. In contrast, Venus Williams, at the age of 43, received a wildcard entry to the tournament, where she had previously won two out of her seven Grand Slam singles titles.