All winning streaks must eventually come to an end. For Bianca Andreescu, the feeling of victory never escaped the young Canadian, dating back to early March.
It was the Mexican Open in Acapulco. Young American teenager Sofia Kenin defeated Andreescu in three sets, 6-4 3-6 7-5.
That was the 19-year-old’s last defeat until Friday, where she fell to Naomi Osaka in three tight sets, 4-6 6-3 6-4. Between these two matches, Andreescu battled back from a shoulder injury that forced her to retire from the French Open and miss Wimbledon. Her first tournament back, the Rogers Cup on her home soil, saw the teenager hoist the championship. The signature, career-defining tournament win came at the US Open, where Andreescu became the first tennis player from Canada to win a Grand Slam.
From her first match coming back from injury to her last win over Jennifer Brady in Beijing, Andreescu had won 17 straight matches. But the most impressive feat is that before the Osaka loss, the Canadian tennis icon was undefeated against Top 10 opponents.
Andreescu’s first victory against a Top 10 player came at Auckland earlier this year, when she defeated 2018 Australian Open Champion Caroline Wozniacki in straight sets, 6-4 6-4.
En route to her first WTA Premier 5 Mandatory victory at Indian Wells, Andreescu would defeat Elina Svitolina in the semis, along with three-time Grand Slam winner Angelique Kerber in the Finals. It was the beginning of a narrative that would follow the rising tennis star all season long; her fearlessness and aggressive play was well-suited against the best players in the world.
Bianca Andreescu Can Experience Growth from Defeat
During Andreescu’s comeback, the big question was whether she had the mental fortitude to continue her success against top opponents. At the Rogers Cup, she defeated World No. 5 Kiki Bertens and World No. 3 Karolina Pliskova in back to back matches in three sets.
In the US Open final against 23-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams, with the raucous pro-American crowd roaring, Andreescu exemplified the toughness of a seasoned veteran. Her eighth victory against a Top-10 opponent would prove to be her greatest yet, surviving a Serena charge in the second set to claim her inaugural Grand Slam title. Sending the nation of Canada into tennis pandemonium and cementing Andreescu’s as one of tennis’ top “NextGen” players.
The loss to Osaka provides will provide a lot of growth and opportunity for improvement. Getting broken six times is an area Andreescu will look to clean up if she wants to sustain her stellar play. But her tenacious attitude was still apparent and she fought valiantly against an opponent in Osaka, who is coming off a victory at the Japan Open and playing superior tennis.
All winning streaks must come to an end. Let’s not forget the incredible season Andreescu is still having. With the WTA Tour Finals just a few weeks away in Shenzhen, expect the Canadian tennis phenom to be hungrier than ever to capture the season ending championships.
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