Bianca Andreescu traces the path that brought her back to the tennis tour after a mental health break — and, on Monday, put her back in the win column thanks to beating a seeded opponent at the Australian Open — to what she calls "an 'Aha' moment" on a beach in Costa Rica during a spiritual retreat nearly a year ago.
Andreescu, who beat Serena Williams in the 2019 U.S. Open final as a teenager, went through a series of health issues, including catching COVID-19, that derailed her career in 2020 and slowed her in 2021, too. She also split from her long-time coach. All in all, there was a lot going on — after beating No. 25 seed Marie Bouzkova 6-2, 6-4 at Court 3 on Monday, Andreescu used the word "hectic" to describe that period — and she went six months without playing a match from October 2021 to April 2022, including sitting out last year's Australian Open.
"That was when I started to ask myself the question: Is this worth it? Is this life worth it? Because I was very stressed out with many things: 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 on the court is my getaway place — and it stopped feeling like that."
She realized she needed to re-evaluate where she was and where she was headed.
WATCH | Andreescu cruises into 2nd round of Australian Open:
"Do I keep pushing and pushing and hope for the best? Or do I take a step back? So that's what I did. I took a break. And I did other things outside of tennis. I did a lot of charity work. I traveled to a few places. Hung out with friends I hadn't hung out with in two or three years. I started playing soccer again. I did some skating. I started martial arts. I did dancing. A bunch of other things. And it really made me appreciate tennis even more," Andreescu said with a wide smile. "I honestly didn't know when I was going to pick up a racket again."
During her time in Costa Rica last February, Andreescu found a new frame of mind.
"I felt much better in 2022 than I did in 2021, when after losses, I felt so discouraged," she said. "Now I just want to get back on court. I feel very motivated."
Sure seemed that way against Bouzkova, a U.S. Open quarterfinalist last year.
Andreescu mixed up her shots and overpowered her foe when opting for big cuts on groundstrokes.
Andreescu said she felt a mix of nerves and relief at the end Monday, because she really wanted to win.
Which she did and now will face 100th-ranked Cristina Bucsa of 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 intuition, I would say, and I feel like a lot of other people do. So trust your gut," Andreescu said, pointing her interlocking fingers toward her heart. "If you don't feel good in something for a while — I didn't feel good for two or three months — I would say to take a step back, if you can."
