Bianca Andreescu withdrawals from ASB Classic due to knee injury
After a historic 2019, Bianca Andreescu — the first tennis player to ever win the Lou Marsh Trophy as Canada’s top athlete — will be sidelined to start the 2020 season due to ongoing knee issues.
The 19-year-old confirmed on Monday that she will miss the ASB Classic which kicks off on Jan. 13 in Auckland, New Zealand.
NEWS | Bianca Andreescu has had to withdraw from the 2020 ASB Classic due to her ongoing knee issues. We are disappointed not to welcome Bianca back and wish her all the best for a speedy recovery. pic.twitter.com/7HVefuGLBe
— ASB Classic (@ASB_Classic) December 24, 2019
“I’m super disappointed about it,” said Andreescu in a video from the tournament’s official account that was released on Twitter. “I spoke to my team and I really have to do what’s best for my knee right now. I had so many amazing memories there so hopefully I can create more in 2021.”
The decision stems from the knee injury that forced her to withdraw from the WTA Finals in October and limited her off-season training.
Andreescu took the tennis world by storm last season. After starting the year outside the top-100 in the WTA rankings, she picked up wins at Indian Wells, the Rogers Cup and US Open to skyrocket to fifth in the world.
Withdrawing from this season-opening tournament will hopefully give Andreescu the extra time required to be in top form for the year’s first Grand Slam — the Australian Open — which begins in Melbourne on Jan. 20.
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