McIntyre Tennis

Genie Bouchard Rogers Cup Press Conference

Genie Bouchard met with members of the press at the Rogers Cup in Toronto on Saturday to speak about her upcoming 12th appearance playing in Canada's premier tennis tournament. She spoke about working with her new coach Jorge Todero, the rise of Canadian tennis in recent years and also of her upcoming match against compatriot Bianca Andreescu who she will face Tuesday night on Centre Court. Here is the entire transcript from today. Check in with us later this weekend on Match Point Canada - the official Tennis Canada podcast - for our exclusive interview with Genie.

Q: You're working with a new coach these days, can you tell us how that came about and then how it's gone?

Genie: Sylvain (Bruneau) actually helped set up this partnership. It's been a couple of weeks now and I really like him. So it's going well. We're trying to change a couple of things, so it's definitely going to be a process. But I think it's the right process.

Q:  In Canadian tennis right now it's been on the rise for the past couple of years. Where do you put it? Where do you look at it and in terms of the talent that's coming up right now and where do you fit in?

Genie: I think Canadian tennis has improved a lot over the past couple years. And just the general excitement about tennis in the country I think is more - from fans watching on TV to the little kids who start playing -  I've heard so many stories that summer camps are all booked up and hearing things like that makes me so happy. I mean to just be any kind of part of it I think is an honor and hopefully it’ll continue like this for years to come.

Q: What are your expectations for Rogers Cup this year?

Genie: Well I'm going to go with my usual answer and say no expectations. Honestly, it's actually just so great to be here. It’s a little bit of a welcome home every time I come through this tournament whether it's in Montreal or Toronto I just really wanna enjoy it, enjoy the atmosphere. I was out around the grounds earlier today and doing some activities and spending some time with some of the fans just, you know, signing and taking pictures and that's a part of what it's all about,

Q: Are you looking forward to playing Bianca?

Genie: Yeah, I think it's hilarious that we play each other. I'm excited. It's actually gonna be fun. I know her well, we’re Fed Cup teammates, so it's hopefully gonna be a fun battle and I hope people enjoy it.

Q: You said with your new coach that it's going to be a process and you're working to change a few things, what in particular are you looking to change?

Genie: I mean I don't want to get into too many specifics, but just a couple of typical things on my shots,  court positioning and keeping in mind the essence of my game and also just putting in a lot of hours. He's very old school, he's Argentinian. So it's been tough. (said with a chuckle!)

Q: Genie, yesterday we had done Naomi Osaka and Bianca at the draw ceremony and Naomi recently admitted that the pressure she's been feeling in particular since the Aussie Open has been difficult for her to deal with. Bianca now is going to have to experience some of that as well as she's had success as well. For someone like you that's been at it for a little bit longer now and seems to sort of roll with all the punches so to speak, what's your secret or what advice might you have for those players that are starting to deal with it for the first time?

Genie: Well, I mean I haven't won two grand slams, so I don't think I'm in a position to give too much advice, but it’s a part of life, you know, and I think the most important thing is to just remember that it's all because of a good thing – it’s because of amazing results. In the past I let myself feel down or negative if I felt too much pressure, but at the end of the day, it's like I feel pressure because of something amazing that I did. Why should I feel sad about it? So those accomplishments that I’ve had or any of those players that you mentioned have, are there forever. So, you know, just enjoy it.

Q: You tweeted recently that you had a dream about Lady Gaga and that you guys chatted for 45 minutes. Can I ask what you guys talked about?

Genie: Um, I think I was in Dubai playing a tournament -  all my dreams I'm always at a tournament, like always. Even if something else is happening, I'm at a tournament site. Yes - tennis has taken over my life. She called because she had this concert and she was inviting me to this concert and we had hung out before, but I was like in Doha or Dubai and I was like, I don't know if I can make it. And then my mom was like, who are you on the phone with? And I'm like, Lady Gaga, you know - like give me - and you're on the phone and I remember like hanging up and seeing like 45 minutes and I was like, All right, this is a cool world to live in.

Q: Have you met her?

Genie: Uh, nope. But I did go to her concert way back in the day.  I don't know why it was her. I mean maybe I saw her for two seconds on TV and then you know how dreams are.

Q: Genie, you've got a first round opponent who’s coming off a long injury layoff. You've had to deal with that yourself. What's the toughest thing about coming back from an injury and for you does it make you approach the match in any kind of way - get into her early, get a leg up against somebody who maybe be a bit rusty?

Genie:  Injuries are the worst part about our sport. And I think, when I come back, the toughest is that competition aspect. There's nothing like real match practices. It's just nothing like the pressure or the tension of a match. I won't approach the match any differently. I know she's a great player and that's what I'm going to expect. And that's it.

Q:  Yesterday you had a cool visit to Sick Kids hospital. And I think for the kids it meant a lot to them, but it seemed like it meant a lot to you. What did that mean to you and what was the best part of being there and just hanging out with them and talking about Harry Potter and being maybe a kid again a little bit?

Genie:  I love, you know, giving back and I visited the children's hospital in Montreal many times and then other cities when we have tournaments there, so to be able to go I was so happy they had me. And if I could inspire one of them yesterday to stay positive and just keep fighting and all the hard work and sacrifices, it's really special to me. I love seeing the kids, they’re so young and energetic and so just to hang out with them, hear about what's cool to them in their life right now. They asked me about some of my experiences, meeting Drake – all of their faces lit up and they're like, oh my God. We talked about Harry Potter, I got like a wand as a gift from hospital and just kind of feeling like a kid, treating them like normal kids because they are and hopefully inspiring them, but you know, they inspire me more than I would ever inspire them.

Q: I know Montreal is your home, but this is Canada, so this is your home tournament. Do the other players ask you for what to do around Toronto and what do you hear from them about this tournament and how this tournament goes?

Genie: I mean it feels like home coming here too. Um, no one's really asked me what to do. I've been busy training, I haven't chatted that much. But I do have a cousin who lives here, and so I always try to go to some cool restaurants or things like that. I think it's a really cool city and I'm not here enough. I realized all of last year, I never came to Toronto, so I’m looking forward to spending more time there.

Bianca Andreescu Prepares For Rogers Cup Return

By Mike McIntyre

Canada's No. 1 player, Bianca Andreescu, was hard at work at the Aviva Centre in Toronto on Monday preparing for her return to the WTA Tour at the Rogers Cup. Out with a shoulder injury since her opening round victory at the French Open, the 19 year old spent considerable time warming-up without her tennis racquet before going through the usual barrage of tennis drills. Tennis Canada trainer Virginie Tremblay worked on some hand-eye coordination exercises and footwork training with Andreescu before she proceeded to hit with Isade Juneau a regular hitting partner for the Canadian women.

While the power and variety in her game were evident in practice, it was also clear that Andreescu was tiring quickly in the mid-day heat on Centre Court and has not benefited from regular practice and match play these past few months. All reports indicate that her right shoulder is ready to go and she didn't seem to favour it whatsoever in her practice session under the watchful eye of coach Sylvain Bruneau. She now has a week before she is set for her opening round match which is scheduled for the evening session on Tuesday August 6th.

Here are some shots of her practice session today.

Women's Quarterfinals Set in Indian Wells

By Mike  McIntyre

Photos: Jimmie48 Tennis Photography

It's down to the final eight in the desert in Indian Wells on the WTA Tour and the final 16 on the ATP Tour and it wasn't without some surprises that's for sure Tuesday saw some big upsets including the loss of World No. 1 (and pre-tournament favorite) Novak Djokovic which dramatically shifted the tournaments odds among the men. On the women's side, the upsets went even further with the tournament's top two seeds falling out of the draw. Both No. 1 Naomi Osaka and No. 2 Simona Halep were defeated but neither should come as a total shock given the deep level of talent that permeates the women's game right now. Osaka was brought down by a resurgent and now healthy Belinda Bencic while Halep was taken out by rising 19 year old Czech star Marketa Vondrousova. Let's take a look at the remaining eight women as we approach the end of the so-called 5th Grand Slam.

Belinda Bencic vs Karolina Pliskova (5)

Switzerland's Belinda Bencic had without a doubt the biggest upset of the day and she did it with commanding authority over World No. 1 Naomi Osaka by a score of 6-3, 6-1. Bencic burst onto the tennis scene in 2015 when she won the Rogers Cup in Toronto defeating six players along the way who had previously made it to a Grand Slam final at some point in their careers. Injuries prevented her from continuing her upward trajectory but at only 22 years old, she still has the bulk of her career ahead of her.

Former No. 1 Karolina Pliskova is always in the mix of names of contenders and already has won a WTA title earlier in 2019 in Brisbane. The "Ace Queen" has been serving bombs all week with 13 of them in her round of sixteen victory over Anett Kontaveit whom she defeated  7-6(0), 4-6, 6-2. Pliskova has never faced Bencic in a WTA match so there's no history to draw upon here. Pliskova made the quarterfinals a year ago and has twice before made the semis. As for Bencic, this her best ever result in Indian Wells which previously had been the final sixteen back in 2015.

Venus Williams vs Angie Kerber

You wouldn't know that Venus Williams is 38 years old from the way she has been playing over the past week. The 7-time Grand Slam champion has looked sharp and advanced to the quarterfinals with a 6-4, 6-4 win over Mona Barthel. This is the fourth consecutive time that Venus has played in Indian Wells after a fifteen year hiatus due to treatment she and her sister Serena received from disappointed fans. The sisters received a harsh reaction from fans who were upset that the older Williams pulled-out of a semifinal match against her sister just minutes before it was scheduled to begin. With that incident long behind her now, Venus has played well in the desert and just last year made the semifinals. Should she win against Kerber it will be the fourth semifinal of her career in Indian Wells.

Kerber has a 5-3 lead in her head-to-head against Venus with their last match taking place in 2018 in Sydney with the German prevailing in three sets. It's the American however who leads their hard court encounters by a 3-2 margin. Kerber came through an odd match Tuesday night against Aryna Sabalanka. After storming through the opening set 6-1 and taking a 2-0 lead in the second, suddenly Sabalenka began to find her game while Kerber struggled to maintain her consistency. Sabalenka would take the second set 6-4 to even the match and then the Belarussian in fact led 4-1 in the final set before Kerber snapped-out of her funk and won the final five consecutive games to take the bizzare match.

Garbine Muguruza (20) vs Bianca Andreescu

If this match had been taking place prior to the 2019 season most people outside of Canada would have asked who exactly is Bianca Andreescu? With a 25-3 record to start 2019 the talented 18 year old is no longer a secret kept north of the border and many would call this match an almost even split. Andreescu has made the first WTA final of her young career in Auckland falling to Julia Goerges in three sets. She qualified and then won her first ever Grand Slam match in Melbourne and then won the tournament in Newport Beach, California for the biggest title of her career thus far. Andreescu has wins this year over big-time players like Caroline Wozniacki and Venus Williams, so the intimidation factor likely won't be present as she prepares to face two-time Slam champ Muguruza.

Muguruza has shown some good tennis as well this week yet she has been lying-low since making the semi-finals last year at Roland Garros and has slipped to 20th in the WTA rankings. Muguruza's last title was in April of last year against a weaker field in Monterrey, Mexico. Here in Indian Wells she beat Lauren Davis in her first match, got past Serena Williams 6-3, 3-0 before the American retired with a viral illness and then most recently defeated Kiki Bertens 5-7, 6-1, 6-4. This will be her first career meeting against Andreescu and hopefully the Spaniard has done her homework or she very well may find herself as Andreescu's 26th victim of the season.

Elina Svitolina (6) vs Marketa Vondrousova

For 6th seeded Elina Svitolina, her solid tennis this week on court has been overshadowed in some ways by her GEMS Life posts on social media that chronicle the adventures between her and companion and ATP pro Gael Monfils. The acronym stands for Gael Elina Monfils Svitolina for those who aren't aware and the duo are certainly both enjoying plenty of success on their respective tour's so far this year. Svitolina had a tough battle with Ash Barty on Tuesday to reach the quarters, but prevailed 7-6(8), 5-7, 6-4. This marks Svitolina's deepest run in Indian Wells though she will of course be hoping to extend that even further as she takes-on 19 year old Marketa Vondrousova.

Vondrousova is not an unknown quantity in the same sense as fellow teenager Bianca Andreescu. It was in 2018 that the Czech talent served notice of her capabilities when she made the round of sixteen at this very event. There she defeated Jo Konta and Aryna Sabalenka to raise some eyebrows with her strong play. Despite losing both previous career meetings against Svitolina (both in 2018), Vondrousova is still maturing as a professional tennis player. She has already accumulated a 149-33 record on the WTA Tour coming into this event and is going to be a presence for years to come. The lefty is currently ranked 61st in the world and is coming off a finalist appearance in Bucharest. Regardless of the result against Svitolina, Vondrousova is making strides and proving her result from a year ago here were no fluke.

Interview with Canadian Sensation Bianca Andreescu

Interview by Ben Lewis, Article from Mike McIntyre

Photographs: Jimmie48 Tennis Photography

One of the surprise stories so far in 2019 on the WTA Tour is without a doubt the rise of Canada’s Bianca Andreescu. She has just made the semifinals of the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells in her first time ever playing in the tournament and has amassed an incredible 26-3 record up to this point of the year. On Wednesday she absolutely demolished two-time Grand Slam winner Garbine Muguruza 6-0, 6-1. While she’s been on the radar in Canada for a few years and had a solid junior career, it is safe to say that nobody saw this quick rise in the rankings coming. She will now vault into the top 50 in the world as of Monday. We were fortunate at the Southpaw Slice podcast to speak with Andreecu just a couple of weeks ago where she spoke at length with Ben Lewis about her whirlwind start to the season. Here’s a summary of that interview that reveals a young player who is confident in her abilities yet grateful – a word she used several times – for all she has achieved thus far.

On whether or not she’s had a chance to catch her breath yet in 2019:

I got a couple of days at home after California, so I got a chance to kind of reflect on what happened. It’s been really crazy but I’m loving it. I’m really grateful with what I’ve achieved. I’m playing really well right now so hopefully I can keep up this momentum for the rest of the season.

Her pre-season turning point that showed her she was capable of more:

I played a couple of Challengers back in October/November and I won two of them. So I think at that point is where I started gaining my confidence back especially after being injured so much. So during the pre-season I tried my best to recover well. I worked a lot with my physio in the gym so I think that’s all paying off on the court.

Which early season win made her realize that her game was now at a new level?

I think it was the win over Venus. She’s a legend, I mean it was a crazy night for me. I was in awe with my trainer for like 30 minutes after the match. I think it was at that point where I’m like ok I’m able to keep up with them and now I’m able to actually beat these top players. And after I saw Denis have that incredible summer season (in 2017) I believed that if he can do it, I can do it. So I think it’s my turn now!

Have her goals changed now for the rest of 2019?

Yeah, so before Auckland my coach and I sat down and set a goal to get into the main draw of the French Open automatically which I’ve accomplished already. I actually haven’t spoken to him after setting that goal, so when I see him before going to my next couple of tournaments we’ll probably re-evaluate but from my point of view I would say that my goal would be to crack the top 40 by the end of the year.

The help she’s received from her coach Sylvain Bruneau:

Yeah he’s done an amazing job. I think we have a really good connection on and off the court. He’s had a lot of experience with a lot of great players so I’m really grateful to have him by my side.

At what age did her family realize she had a talent for tennis?

I would say when I got pretty serious with it, so at the age of 9. At the age of 7 I was kind of going back and forth with different sports. But at 9 when we moved back to Canada was when I started getting more serious.

If her parents are also athletically inclined:

Yeah, they didn’t play anything too competitively. My Dad played soccer in high school and college and my Mom played handball but it wasn’t anything too serious.

Why she plays with such a variety of shots:

I’ve actually always played like that. It was because I just get bored so I want to try something new every other shot I guess. I think that really helps me against a lot of the players on tour because I find that most of them just have one shot I guess, they just hit the ball but they don’t really do much with it so I think my game just throws a lot of them off.

Going back and forth between surfaces this season:

It was actually fine because my favourite surface is the clay. So I actually was really happy when they (Netherlands in Fed Cup) announced that we were playing on clay. I think that my game style really suits it. I had a week and a half to train on it before with the whole team, so it was good.

How it felt to be the lead singles in Fed Cup

Not gonna lie, I was really nervous before both matches. Going into Fed Cup I wanted to do my best because I’m playing not only for myself but for a team. I would say it is one of my favourite tournaments because of that reason, you never get that chance in this individual sport. But my coach helped me with coping with all the nerves and she gave me a really good pep talk before both matches - Heidi El Tabakh - it was her first tie, I’m sure a memorable one – we won 4-0, so it was pretty amazing.

Expectations on facing Czech Republic in April, the defending Fed Cup champs:

Well every tournament I go into I want to win it no matter what, but first whenever I step on the court I want to play my best tennis. Even if I lose, that I’ve given 100% and that’s all that matter to we. Obviously for Fed Cup we want to win it’s our first World Group playoffs in I think a couple of years now so we’re really looking forward to it. And we have no pressure as you said they’re defending champions. Winning that would mean a lot for me, for the whole team and all of Canada.

How she’s handling the newfound attention:

It’s pretty overwhelming but I’m loving it. I really can’t complain. I mean I don’t’ know anyone that doesn’t like attention, so it’s been pretty good. And I have a wonderful team around me so they help me stay grounded.

Genie Bouchard Out In Singles and Doubles in Indian Wells

By Mike McIntyre

Photos: Jimmie48 Tennis Photography

Genie Bouchard's experience in Indian Wells did not last very long as the No. 2 ranked Canadian was eliminated in the opening round of both singles and doubles competition.

Wednesday she teamed up with her occasional doubles partner Sloane Stephens and the pair was defeated by Kirsten Flipkens and Johanna Larrson 6-1, 6-2. While Bouchard does not usually concentrate on her doubles game, she did win the first such title of her career earlier this season in Auckland. She and Stephens also teamed-up last year in Indian Wells losing in the opening round and they played at the Rogers Cup in Bouchard's home town of Montreal where they made the quarterfinals. Despite their lack of on-court success this week, the two certainly appear to enjoy each other's company as can be seen below.

In singles, Bouchard found herself once again on the losing side against Flipkens, as the Belgian beat her in a three set battle 7-5, 3-6, 7-5. It brings Bouchard's record in 2019 to 6-6 with her best result being the quarterfinals in Auckland and in Newport Beach where she lost to fellow Canadian Bianca Andreescu.

Andreescu has now firmly established herself as one to watch on the WTA Tour with her strong play to start the season. The 18 year old has a 23-3 record and has been the far more consistent player, overtaking Bouchard for the top ranking spot in Canada.

Bouchard has taken her game up a level since mid-2018 but is still having difficulty getting deep into events on an even semi-regular basis. With the clay court season approaching and not playing to Bouchard's strengths, it won't get any easier for her as the WTA Tour season carries on.

Bianca Andreescu Defeats Genie Bouchard in All-Canadian Quarterfinal in Newport Beach

By Mike McIntyre

Tennis fans in Canada were looking forward to Friday's quarterfinal match in Newport Beach between Genie Bouchard and Bianca Andreescu. It offered an all-Canadian affair between the current No. 1 and the heir apparent and it featured two players who had started 2019 in strong fashion. Fifty-three minutes after it began however it was all over with a resounding 6-2, 6-0 victory from the 18 year old Andreescu.

 

The highlight for Bouchard was an ace on the very first point of the match as it quickly went downhill from her first service hold. Andreescu would break for a 2-1 lead in the opening set and never looked back as she dictated play the rest of the way. She would finish by winning 78% of her first serves, taking 5 of 9 break point opportunities and winning 58 points compared to a mere 31 from Bouchard.

Despite Genie's experience, it was Andreescu who seemed poised and confident throughout the match as her groundstrokes were hitting their mark deep into the court and her variety and spin also seemed to fluster a lackluster Bouchard. Andreescu has been making life difficult for most of her opponents so far this year as she has a sparkling 14-2 record if you add-up all of her qualifying and main draw matches.

As the two approached the net at the conclusion of the match they offered each other a brief but cordial handshake and then Andreescu quickly packed-up her gear and left the court without any type of celebration - a classy gesture considering the way she dismantled her older compatriot.

Despite the loss Bouchard sports a respectable 5-3 record to start 2019 and aside from today's lopsided loss and quick exit versus Andreescu, the 24 year old has looked more confident and content on and off the tennis court lately. There are encouraging signs that both Bouchard and Andreescu could make their way into the top-50 on the WTA Tour, providing Canada with a solid one-two punch in Fed Cup play.

As for the take-away from today's match between the two, it reminds me of a comment made by Bouchard from back at the 2017 Rogers Cup. In reply to my question about the up-and-coming Andreescu, Bouchard joked that finally, "Someone else can carry the burden for Canada." With her strong play out of the gate this year and the potentially symbolic win over Bouchard - the country's current No. 1 - Andreescu may indeed be ready to take that challenge and see how it feels.

Southpaw Slice Season Preview

By Mike McIntyre

Happy to share our first Southpaw Slice episode of 2019. Ben Lewis (@BenLewisSN590) and I take a look at Bianca Andreescu's big week in Auckland where she made her first WTA Final, discuss early season wins from Kevin Anderson, Roberto Bautista-Agut and Kei Nishikori on the men's side and Aryna Sabalenka and Julia Goerges on the women's. We also look into the Hopman Cup victory from Switzerland and offer a preview of the Canadian's in Aussie Open qualifying too.

 

 

 

Bianca Andreescu Emerges as a Threat on the WTA Tour

By Mike McIntyre

John McEnroe once joked with me that Canada would have a top-ten player if the sport was played on ice - a reference to our hockey prowess and lack of a legitimate threat in singles at the time. In the past five years however, tennis in Canada has taken a big rise in credibility with the likes of Milos Raonic and Genie Bouchard both making Grand Slam finals and at times being a presence in the top 5 in the World rankings. Denis Shapovalov announced himself as another talented Canadian player when he made the semifinals of the Rogers Cup in Montreal in the summer of 2017 and Felix Auger-Aliassime has also grabbed some headlines as the youngest player in the top 200 on the ATP Tour last year. We can now add Bianca Andreescu to the growing list of headline-catching Canucks after her coming out party this past week in Auckland.

The 18 year old Andreescu who hails from Mississauga and also developed part of her game at a young age in Romania, made it through three qualifying matches before delivering four big-time upsets to make it all the way to the finals at the ASB classic before being beaten by the No. 2 seed and defending champion Julia Goerges 2-6, 7-5, 6-1 on Sunday. Playing in her very first WTA final, Andreescu seemed anything but nervous as she was not at all challenged by the more experienced Goerges in the first set despite leading the Tour in aces in 2018 and being known for her usually powerful serve. For a moment it seemed like Andreescu's dream run would indeed end with a trophy being held above her head to complete the unlikely week of upsets.

Following the first set that saw Goerges struggle with a first serve of only 41% the German took a well-advised bathroom break and left the court. When she came back it was like a totally different player had taken her place - and how often do we see that happen? The veteran move paid-off and saw Goerges break Andreescu immediately and then hold serve for a 2-0 lead. Andreescu stayed focused despite signs that her troublesome back was flaring-up once again, and got back into the match for 4-4. Then while back on serve at 5-4, Andreescu admitted after the match that she started to look ahead prematurely. "It was really hard for me to stay in the moment and I was like - oh my God - I'm like one game away from winning the tournament." 

After evening the match at one set apiece with a late break in the second frame, Goerges took control while Andreescu looked like she had little left in the tank and began to fade after a week that saw her play eight matches while dealing with the aforementioned back issue as well as a difficult cold as well. "My body is honestly a mess" the Canadian phenom revealed.

Despite the loss, it was a week that Andreescu will never forget nor will the legions of Canadians who stayed up late or woke up early to support her throughout her magical emergence on the WTA Tour. Her mother Maria revealed to me earlier this week that her daughter was initially shocked at her big wins over former World No. 1's like Caroline Wozniacki and Venus Williams but was now starting to feel that she belonged at this high level of play. Her ranking will shoot-up on Monday from No. 152 to a career-high of No. 107. 

It should be noted that Andreescu's success cannot be deemed a total shock as she was a highly touted junior player once reaching No. 3 in the world and who had also won the Under 16 and Under 18 Orange Bowl tournament - a feat also accomplished by the likes of Chrissie Evert and Ivan Lendl to put the accomplishment into perspective. That being said, just because one is a successful junior does not necessarily equate to enjoying continued success when joining the professional ranks.

Andreecu has put in an incredible amount of time to develop her fitness and add variety to her game that at first glance seems to be built upon her impressive power. This week in Auckland tennis fans were treated to all aspects of her game that included some serious hustle and a wide array of tactical variety as well. Playing the always tricky Su-Wei Hsieh in the semifinals, Andreescu actually out-drop shot-ed her Taiwanese opponent and turned the tables on the No. 3 seed en route to a straight set 6-3, 6-3 victory.

Underneath all of the talent we have witnessed is the fact that Andreescu is also a very humble and well-spoken young woman who carried herself like an excellent ambassador for her country all week long. She made a point of looking directly into the camera to thank all of the support she was getting back home in Canada and was extremely thankful in particular to her lone supporter courtside all week, Virginie Tremblay, saying, "Thank you to my fitness trainer/coach/everything this week...she's been a tremendous help."

Indeed one of the more emotional moments of the week was as Andreescu was seeing the final slip away from her while trailing 1-4 in the third set and was talking with Tremblay on what would become the final changeover. Tremblay tried her best to inspire an Andreescu comeback by saying, "You need to want it more than her. You need to take that little fire in you on every shot." Answering almost in tears, Andreescu replied, "I really want to."

Canadian tennis fans really wanted her to as well but resoundingly applaud her inspiring effort to start the 2019 tennis season with a bang and reveal to the world that she is going to be a future force to be reckoned with on the WTA Tour. Forget what John McEnroe said about having a top ten player if the game was played on ice - Canada could have several legitimate top ten players in the years to come with Bianca Andreescu proving that she will be doing her best to become one of them. 

Bianca Andreescu Offers Canadian Tennis Fans a Glimpse of the Future

By Mike McIntyre

Photo Credit: Peter Figura

With an unprecedented level of Canadian talent currently on display on the professional tennis circuit it can be easy for fans in this country to focus on the present without giving much thought to what lies ahead. Milos Raonic has just defeated Roger Federer to start the year with a title in Brisbane, Vasek Pospisil seems poised to build on making the quarterfinals of Wimbledon last summer and Genie Bouchard is starting to show signs of regaining her form from 2014 where she rose to No. 5 in the world rankings. While Canadian tennis fans have much to be excited about right now, there is also plenty of reason for optimism with the next wave of emerging tennis players that are quickly making a name for themselves as they come up the ranks.

Leading the charge among our rising female tennis players is fifteen year old Bianca Andreescu. Despite her young age, Andreescu has already proven that she can hang with older competition and her success in 2015 propelled her all the way to number four in the ITF junior world rankings. Just how far can the youngster go? I sat down with Andreescu just before Christmas to get her views on her potential as a professional tennis player and the events that have led her to this point.

Photo Credit: Mike McIntyre

Born in Mississauga but beginning to develop her tennis skills as a child in Romania between the ages of six and eight, Andreescu was not raised as a total tennis fanatic. She does not recall having a favourite player growing up and revealed that tennis became more of a priority for her when she turned twelve. Since then the improvements in her game have come quickly and have attracted the attention of Tennis Canada who continue to help her progression as an elite young tennis player.

Andreescu now works heavily with retired pro Nathalie Tauziat, former Wimbledon finalist in 1998, who travels with her to all of her tournaments. Andreescu has seen her baseline game and attacking style flourish under the tutelage of Tauziat and fully realizes that she is lucky to have someone of that caliber coaching her at such a young age.

“I’m very fortunate to have her as my coach” Andreescu acknowledges, “she used to be top 3 in the world.”

The success that Andreescu has recently experienced goes a long way towards justifying the attention and emphasis that Tennis Canada has placed on her. Highlights in 2015 by Andreescu’s own admission include winning the Canadian Open Junior and reaching the finals of the $25,000 Pro event in Gatineau where she fell to American Alexa Glatch who was ranked 155^th in the WTA rankings at the time and who is more than ten years Andreescu’s senior. She also enjoyed helping Canada to a third place finish in the Junior Fed Cup and made her debut in the qualifying draw at the Rogers Cup in Toronto in August. Andreescu’s biggest moment though was the way she finished her season by winning the Metropolia under 18 Orange Bowl International Tennis Championship in December. Andreescu had won the Under 16 version of the tournament a year ago and joins some pretty elite company who have won the two back-to-back including Chris Evert and Mary Joe Fernandez on the women’s side and Ivan Lendl and Jim Courier among the men.

Photo Credit: Christopher Levy

“Winning this tournament gave me a lot of confidence especially against tough opponents but now I know that if I put my mind to it I can beat anyone. I actually dreamt of this moment, I visualized me holding that trophy and I believed it and it came true. I try to visualize every night basically how I want to play each match and what I want to accomplish.”

As I chatted with Andreescu I was struck by her incredible poise and maturity in articulating her grasp of where her game is at the moment and what remains for her to work on in order to attain her future goals. She feels that her serve and return of serve are areas that require increased focus as she begins to play more experienced and powerful opponents. There exists a big gap in ability between junior level players and the pros amongst whose ranks Andreescu aims to one day join.

“I feel like most junior player compared to the pros they don’t hit as hard and as deep and they don’t play with the passion that the pros play I guess,” Andreescu remarked.

The young Canadian did have the opportunity just prior to Christmas to hit a few balls with fellow Canadian Genie Bouchard while down south in Key Biscayne. She found the experience an enjoyable one and noted that, “I was holding my ground. But I thought she would hit harder though!”

While Canada is at present arguably enjoying its highest ever success levels on the international tennis scene, Tennis Canada is hard at work behind the scenes to ensure that the next wave of Canadian talent finds its way to the top of the sport in order to continue this newly established legacy. That being said, there is certainly no reason to rush youngsters like Andreescu into the professional ranks if they are not yet ready or could benefit from more time at the junior level. Gone it seems are the days of teenagers winning Grand Slams as they once did with Steffi Graf, Monica Seles, Martina Hingis and Maria Sharapova. Today’s female tennis players need a little more time to develop and find that added power that is required to hit with the likes of Serena Williams or Andreescu’s current idol, Romanian Simona Halep.

In between all the time spent on court and completing her high school degree online, Andreescu does try to maintain some semblance of normalcy in her life but finds it difficult to partake in regular teenage activities like going to the movies and seeing her friends back home in Vaughan.

Asked what she misses the most of maintaining a regular teenage schedule she stated , “Basically all the social stuff. I barely have time for that because I’m basically playing tennis all the time and doing homework. It’s really hard.”

Yet when I talked to her about specific goals for the coming season, Andreescu sounds like someone who is focused entirely on becoming the best tennis player she possibly can even if that means giving up a few things in her personal life. “My goal for next year is to reach the top two hundred in the WTA,” she said. “And for juniors, I mean, I’d like to win a Grand Slam and to finish number one next year.” Her ambitions are high but given what she has accomplished over the past twelve months, I don’t think anyone can argue that the potential is definitely there. The future of tennis in Canada looks promising with the likes of Bianca Andreescu leading the charge.