By Nicole Fernandes
TORONTO, July 8 (Reuters) – Nearly seven years after defeating 23-times Grand Slam champion Serena Williams in the 2019 U.S. Open final, Canadian Bianca Andreescu still feels a little bad for denying the American a 24th major.
Andreescu was just 19 years old when she defeated Williams, then 37, in straight sets, becoming the first Canadian player to win a Grand Slam title.
The two talked about their match afterwards but have not had much interaction since, Andreescu said, other than polite hellos.
“Maybe she just doesn’t like me very much,” Andreescu said with an awkward chuckle on Wednesday while talking to reporters on Zoom. “I wouldn’t blame her.”
She quickly added that Williams had some “very sweet” words after the match and praised the 44-year-old for returning to competitive tennis last month, nearly four years after her retirement.
“To come back at her age obviously is not easy,” Andreescu said. “But she’s definitely becoming even more of a trailblazer than she already is to do something like that.”
ANDREESCU AIMS TO RETURN TO HER BEST
Having reached fourth in the world rankings but now 180th, the Canadian is staging a comeback of sorts herself after suffering multiple injuries in recent years and undergoing appendectomy surgery.
The 26-year-old started this season on the second-tier ITF circuit, claiming titles at Bradenton and Vero Beach in Florida. She returned to the WTA Tour at the end of February, most recently losing in the first round at Wimbledon.
On Wednesday she was awarded a main-draw wildcard at the Canadian Open, which she also won in 2019 by defeating Williams, who retired in the final due to back spasms.
“Now that I’ve been super consistent, I think that’s also giving me even more confidence to finish the season off strong,” Andreescu said of her health and game this year.
“To me it feels like a miracle… I just feel beyond grateful and I’m just ready to continue to kick some butt.”
While Williams was not on the Canadian Open player list released on Wednesday, Andreescu hopes their paths will cross again one day – and that she can muster up the courage to seek advice from “the legend herself”.
“She said: ‘If you ever need any help, let me know’,” Andreescu said, recalling her conversation with Williams after the 2019 U.S. Open final.
“But I’m not brave enough to do that. Maybe now that she’s on tour, I’ll have the chance to talk to her.”
The Canadian Open runs from August 2-13 in Toronto.
(Reporting by Nicole Fernandes in Toronto; editing by Clare Fallon)
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