At just 22, Bianca Andreescu has a bright future ahead in the world of tennis. She is already a Grand Slam champion after success in the States in 2019, but can the Ontario-born star kick on in 2023 and add more silverware to her trophy cabinet?
Andreescu has suffered from various injuries and loss in form since those dizzying heights she set a few years back, but the former world No. 4 is more than capable of getting her mojo back as we enter another year of exciting tennis.
A big year lies ahead for the Canadian, with four Grand Slam tournaments to look forward to. The Australian Open in Melbourne kicks things off at the start of 2023. The tour then heads to Paris, New York, and London.
Wagering On The 2023 Australian Open
Make no mistake, Andreescu heads to Melbourne as a rank outsider, with the bookies offering around 50/1 for her to prevail Down Under. After the single-game sports wagering ban was lifted in 2021, sports betting in Canada is growing in popularity. Wagerers in Canada can now place wagers on individual outcomes and games, including matches in the Australian Open.
At the time of writing, Iga Swiatek is the favourite in the women’s edition. Aryna Sabalenka, Jessica Pegula and Caroline Garcia have also been tipped to go far in Australia. On the men’s side, Novak Djokovic is the red-hot favourite.
Let the games begin ? Here’s to the AO Moments ahead. @DjokerNole • #AusOpen • #AO2023 pic.twitter.com/r8n7xWEBf3
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 11, 2023
Looking Back On A Remarkable 2019
Andreescu stunned the tennis universe with her exceptional win at the US Open in 2019. She was just a teenager at the time, but the Canadian more than matched the experienced players and was a worthy champion in New York.
She managed to get to the final without facing a single top-ten opponent. The great Serena Williams was waiting in the final, but Bianca held her nerve to secure a two-set victory to claim her one and only Grand Slam title. She was the youngest player to win a major singles event since Svetlana Kuznetsova won the 2004 US Open. Andreescu was also the first player born in the 2000s to win on the grandest stage.
Go Bianca! Show the world what Canadians are made of. #Andreescu #Williams ????? pic.twitter.com/H5sNaMXOnI
— Sgt Lee Marten (@Canuckula) September 7, 2019
Can Andreescu Regain Form?
Naturally, after winning the 2019 US Open, massive things were expected of Andreescu. However, she has struggled to live up to the hype since. The injury halted her momentum not long after the US Open success, and some bad results in major tournaments have dented her confidence.
Injury once again hampered her in 2022, as Andreescu was forced to withdraw from many big competitions, including the Australian Open at the start of the year. She did manage to bounce back with a quarter-final in Rome, but that was about as good as it got last year.
Andreescu starts 2023 languishing down, with a place at 42nd in the current rankings. The first Grand Slam of the year is the Australian Open, a place where she has struggled in recent times. In both 2019 and 2021, Andreescu was knocked out in the second round in Melbourne. She was also eliminated at the same stage in the French Open in 2019 and 2022 and Wimbledon in 2022.
On her day, Andreescu is an outstanding performer. She has a wide variety of shots ranging from a solid backhand to a powerful stroke. She has been labelled “fun to watch” and no doubt has a bright future ahead once she regains full confidence.
Winning the Australian Open may be a step too far, too soon, but Andreescu will be eyeing up some tournament victories in 2023 and beyond as she looks to replicate the US Open success.
