By Scoop Malinowski
While pro tennis players are chasing millions of dollars and their tennis dreams in Australia for the Australian Open Grand Slam tournament, former 2019 Grand Slam champion Bianca Andreescu competes in Bradenton Palma Sola this week in a low level ITF World Tennis Tour event.
The Canadian 25 year old currently ranked 225 in the WTA, is coming back from an ankle injury suffered last year. Instead of attempting to try to qualify for the Australian Open, Andreescu decided to make the unprecedented move to drop down to play in Bradenton at Inspiration Academy in Palma Sola. The total prize money on the line for all rounds singles and doubles is $30,000.
Andreescu, who came to Bradenton from Boca Raton on Saturday with her dad Nicu, coach and fitness coach, arrived hours before her match on Tuesday against qualifier Malkia Ngounoue, ranked 1223 in the world. She hit and played some points with her new coach Dusan Vemic, who coached Novak Djokovic last year, and then she sat and watched most of a long three setter, no. 2 seed Bradenton resident Hina Inoue, ranked 238, who defeated Hong Kong’s Kallista Liu, ranked 1017.
When it was time to play, Andreescu showed the flashes of brilliance which propelled her to Rogers Cup and US Open final wins vs Serena Williams in 2019. Andreescu’s speed, variety of shots, pinpoint accuracy and mental toughness of a Grand Slam champion were on display for a dozen or so fans on a small court in Bradenton, compared to the huge, packed stadiums she is accustomed to competing in.
Andreescu was ready for a battle and she got one. Her also 25 year old adversary didn’t journey here to serve as a second banana, she came to create a major upset in the tennis world.
Ngounoue, a striking, tall, aggressive player looked like a top 25 star at times, ripping baseline shots and executing many successful serve and volleys. Ngounoue was inspired to rise to the occasion against a US Open winner.
Despite the difficult challenge Ngounoue presented to her, Andreescu never faltered or showed signs of mental weakness, confusion or frustration in the three set struggle. When Andreescu lost a point or game, or made a sloppy error, she immediately re-set, like a tennis machine. Andreescu, the heavy favorite, ultimately prevailed 75 26 63.
Immediately after the win, sitting at her chair, Andreescu hand signaled to Vemic that she wanted to hit more and they had to wait a few minutes for a court to open up as some of the Inspiration Academy kids were training. First Andreescu was asked to do a TV interview for the local network news for about five minutes. Then for about 30 minutes late in the afternoon as dusk approached, Andreescu hit some softer forehands and backhands, forehand drops shots, and serves, apparently to fine tune her form. After the practice she did a ten minute Biofile interview with me.
Today, Andreescu will play Great Britain’s Ella McDonald, ranked 524, in second round action. If she can win four more matches in Bradenton, Andreescu will earn about $3,000 but it’s not really about the money, it’s about “going back to my roots.” Andreescu has earned almost $10m in her professional career. She said she did not want to go down to Australia and try to qualify and then possibly run into a top player in the early rounds, her body isn’t ready for that just yet. Coach Vemic said this was a good opportunity to change a “five year loop” of playing when her body health and fitness just were not quite ready.
The luxuries and special treatments of the WTA Tour and Grand Slam privileges is a lot different than hardcore life on the ITF circuit but Andreescu and her team have been loving every minute of the experience.
Last year Andreescu played only 21 matches on the WTA Tour and won ten. She did not play in any Grand Slam main draws.
This year Andreescu, the former world no. 4 ranked player, one of the most charismatic and entertaining champions on the WTA Tour – skilled enough to win big tournaments in Indian Wells, Toronto and Flushing Meadows back in 2019, is working extremely hard in Bradenton, FL to regain her aura, flow and tennis mastery to return to the elite pantheon of the sport – exactly where she belongs.
Bianca Andreescu · Bradenton · ITF · Nike · US Open · Yonex
