MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Bianca Andreescu traced the path that brought her back to the tennis tour after a mental health break — and Monday put her back in the winning books thanks to a win over a seeded opponent at the Australian Open. What she calls an “aha moment” on a beach in Costa Rica during a spiritual retreat nearly a year ago.
Here, then, is how the 22-year-old Canadian described his epiphany in an interview with The Associated Press at Melbourne Park: “I’m meant to play this sport and use it as a platform to be an inspiration to others.”
Andreescu, who beat Serena Williams in the 2019 US Open final as a teenager, has gone through a series of health issues, including contracting COVID-19, which blighted her career in 2020 and slowed her life in 2021 as well. She also broke up with her longtime coach. Overall, there was a lot going on — after she beat No. 25 seed Marie Bouzkova 6-2, 6-4 on Court 3 on Monday, Andreescu used the word “frantic” to describe that period — and she went six months without playing a match from October 2021. to April 2022, including not participating in last year’s Australian Open.
“That was when I started asking myself the question: Is this all worth it? Is this life worth it? Because I was so stressed out by so many things: the people in my life; the way I was looking at myself in the mirror,” Andreescu said. Just holding a tennis racket, I didn’t feel happy anymore. or content. Because usually, going to the stadium is my escape – and I’ve never had that feeling.”
She knew she needed to reassess where she was and where she was going.
“Do I keep pushing and pressing and hoping for the best? Or do I take a step back? That’s what I did. I took a break. And I did other things outside of tennis. I’ve done a lot of charity. I’ve traveled a few places. Hanging out with friends I haven’t hung out with in two years.” Or three. I started playing soccer again. I did some skiing. I started martial arts. I danced. A bunch of other things. It really made me appreciate tennis more,” Andreescu said with a grin. “I honestly didn’t know when I’ll pick up a racket again.”
During her time in Costa Rica this past February, Andreescu found a new state of mind.
“I felt a lot better in 2022 than I did in 2021, when I got really frustrated after the losses,” she said. “Now I just want to get back on the court. I feel so motivated.”
And it certainly looked that way against Bouzkova, who reached the quarter-finals of the US Open last year.
Andreescu mixed her shots and outplayed her opponent when choosing big cuts on her groundstrokes.
“It just didn’t give me much room to breathe and keep my momentum going,” Bouzkova said.
Andreescu said she felt a mixture of stress and relief at the end of Monday, because she really wanted to win.
Which she did and she will now face 100th seed Cristina Buxa from Spain as the journey continues.
“I like to say what my mom always tells me: ‘Follow your heart.’ That’s what I did. I have a strong hunch, I say, and I feel like a lot of people do. So trust your gut,” Andreescu said, pointing her interlocking fingers toward her heart. “If you haven’t felt good about something for a while — I haven’t felt good for two or three months — I’d say take a step back, if I can.”
Big step for China guys
Qualifier teenager Shang Juncheng became the first Chinese man to win a main-draw match at the Australian Open in the professional era, defeating Germany’s Oscar Otte 6-2, 6-4, 6-7(2), 7-5.
“I think it’s huge for Chinese men’s tennis,” said the 17-year-old Shang, who has 34 winners. “We had really good players on the women’s side, but we don’t have really big names on the men’s team.”
“Hopefully we can do something big in the future,” Zhang added.
Shang, the junior runner-up at the 2021 US Open, is the first 17-year-old to win his first Grand Slam match since current top seed Carlos Alcaraz did it at the Australian Open two years ago.
“It’s a very big achievement,” Zhang said. “Looking at Carlos, he’s the best player in the world right now. Just watching him play on the field really inspires me, and it inspires young players.”
China placed three men in the main draw of a Grand Slam event for the first time.
Wu Yiping lost his first-round match to France’s Corentin Moutet on Monday. Zhang Zhizhen plays American Ben Shelton on Tuesday.
View bills
Jessica Pegula prepared for her first round win at the Australian Open by watching on TV as the Buffalo Bills defeated the Miami Dolphins 34-31 in their opening game of the NFL Playoffs.
The No. 3 seed Pegula, whose parents own the Bills and Sabers in the NHL, said she got up at 7 a.m. Monday in Melbourne — which was 3 p.m. Sunday in New York — and watched most of the second half before she was defeated. Jacqueline Christian 6-0, 6-1 at Margaret Court Arena.
“It was a tough game. Definitely an ugly win, I think,” Pegula said of the Bills’ not the nicest wins.
“It’s like the first match, the qualifiers, everyone’s kind of nervous, a lot of tension,” she added, likening it to the turmoil before the first match at a Grand Slam tournament.
Pegula said, “It would have been fun for them to have that win before I went on the court. It wouldn’t have really affected me, I don’t think, but I would have been upset that they lost.”
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Associated Press freelance journalist Simon Cambers contributed to this report.
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Follow Howard Fendrich on Twitter at https://twitter.com/HowardFendrich
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AP Tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis And https://twitter.com/AP_Sports