Canadian Teen Bianca Andreescu Wins Rogers Cup as A Tearful Serena Williams Retires with Injury
(August 11, 2019) TORONTO – The day started with what looked like a tournament organizer’s dream. The most successful women’s tennis player of all time taking on the local upstart all paired with perfect weather. Sadly, the day ended in tears as Serena Williams was forced to retire after just four games due to back spasms, with 19-year-old Bianca Andreescu up 3-1.
The problems appeared to start quite early, as Williams started making poor error after poor error, clearly stretching for the ball and firing well long. Serena called the trainer and quickly decided to pull the plug on the match.
“Yeah, it started yesterday in my match and it just got worse. Just my whole back just completely spasmed, and to a point where I couldn’t sleep and I couldn’t really move.
“And so I was just trying to figure out, How do you play a match where you have no rotation?”
Serena didn’t seem overly concerned with the severity, noting that it usually passes within 24 to 36 hours. Because of that, she has yet to make a decision on playing Cincinnati.
“So I don’t know. I’m just taking it a day at a time and see if it is usually what happens, if it continues like that, with just that small window and see if I improve after that small window.”
For Bianca Andreescu, the title was a dream come true, having grown up in a suburb of Toronto.
“I would say that the win in Indian Wells was — I mean, it was a hard-fought battle. So I felt like it was a sweeter victory at the time.
“But this tournament is at home. I’ve dedicated so much hard work and sweat on that tennis court and in this gym, so this tournament is definitely ten times more special.”
Andreescu also stressed how hard she works at the mental part of tennis, after Serena called her an “old soul” after the match.
“But, yeah, I would say I’m an old soul. I love to read. I love to research on my own. I just love to learn, learn, learn. Because I believe that knowledge is power and I enjoy doing that.”
“I meditate a lot. I visualize a lot. I know I’ve said that a lot at Indian Wells. I think it’s really important to work your mind just as hard as you work physically.”
For Andreescu, this is her seventh straight win over a top 10 opponent, and places her eighth in the race for the WTA Finals at the end of the season.
“Just being part of that elite group would mean the world. I mean, I’m going to be playing against the best players in the world. So having my name beside theirs would mean a lot.”
Brodie Widdifield is covering the Rogers Cup in Toronto for Tennis Panorama News, follow him on Twitter at @MindTheRacket
