Canada's Bianca Andreescu catapults to No. 5 in latest world rankings

    Vivek Jacob
    Editor

    Another day, another career highlight for Bianca Andreescu.

    With her U.S. Open win, the teen prodigy catapulted 10 spots to fifth in the latest WTA rankings, just ahead of her idol and reigning Wimbledon champion Simona Halep and four spots above 23-time Grand Slam winner and the woman she defeated in the final, Serena Williams.

    It all feels a bit surreal right now, especially when considering that a few years ago, all Andreescu wanted to do was make enough money for her parents to be able to travel and watch her at the different tournaments she plays.

    “It definitely wasn’t an easy road,” Andreescu said when making an appearance on Good Morning America. “I sacrificed a lot, my parents sacrificed a lot and just being with them to celebrate that moment was very special to me because I know they can’t always travel.

    “But I guess now they can!”

    Having picked up a cheque for a cool $3,850,000 to add to her 2019 earnings of just over $2 million, it’s safe to say that we’ll be seeing Maria and Nico more often, along with family dog Coco.

    Humble yet ambitious, what stands out about Andreescu’s remarkable rise is her desire and will to be the best. She is a perfect 8-0 against Top 10 opponents this year, has won 24 matches in a row if you exclude two matches — one in Miami and one at the French Open — that she withdrew from due to injury, has the tennis world at her feet, and still she wants more.

    “I could definitely get used to this feeling,” Andreescu said. “I’m not done yet.”

    The top five players on the WTA circuit as of Sept. 9, 2019.

    While she’s well within striking distance of a place in the Top 3, standing alone at the top isn’t completely out of the question. There are still three big events remaining in the WTA tennis calendar to earn significant points, and considering Andreescu didn’t play any of those events last year, she can only gain the rest of the way here.

    Ashleigh Barty’s 1700 point lead is a lot, but there’s 3400 points at stake across the Wuhan Open, China Open and the crucial WTA Finals in late October. With the first of those three tournaments beginning Sept. 22, one thing Andreescu will have to keep in mind is her health.

    She was out of commission for almost four months due to a shoulder injury, and suffered a bit of a groin strain during the Rogers Cup in Toronto but clearly recovered well enough to win the event and do what she did in New York.

    If all systems are go, there’s plenty of reason to believe that No. 5, while an incredible career-high already for the 19-year-old, may just be a temporary stop on the way to the top.

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