The hype around Bianca Andreescu has a chance to revive as the former U.S. Open champion and Canadian star returned to the court with a massive straight-sets win at the Madrid Open. Officially, Andreescu returned a week ago at The Open de Rouen in Rouen, France, but Madrid is a WTA 1000 event, so the stakes escalate and the competition increases.
Andreescu hasn't won a match since October of last year. Since then, she's undergone emergency appendectomy surgery that kept her off the court for over a month. She appears to be fully healthy now and got off to a good start at the Caja Mágica in Manzanares Park.
While it's unfair to expect Andreescu to go deep in Madrid, it is a prime opportunity for her to get her legs back, swing back, and overall game back, hopefully progressing to the championship form we all know she can play as the year moves on.
A win for Bianca Andreescu is important
Andreescu faced McCartney Kessler in her first match, resulting in a straight sets, 6-2, 6-4 victory. Apart from some blown set points, Andreescu was on top of her serve and return serve. In the end, the match was won on her serve. Kessler made it competitive, but Andreescu pulled through and will face Elena Rybakina, who's ranked No. 10 on the WTA Tour, next in the round of 64.
Once upon a time, Andreescu reached No.4 in the world, a high point in her young career. However, since her 2019 Grand Slam win in Flushing Meadows, she has lost a step, dealt with injuries, and tumbled down the rankings. Coming into Madrid, she sits outside the top 100 at 132.
Andreescu held Canada's hopes for big tournament wins and major championships for a while. Those hopes may have wavered in recent years, but have not disappeared entirely. Andreescu is still considered one of the most exciting players on tour, and she's always a threat. Now that she's returned to the tour, she'll want a say in where her career goes from here.
Snagging the win over Kessler was huge for her confidence, considering she dropped her first set in Rouen a week ago. Andreescu may have fallen behind over the past few years, but the hype around her is still alive, at least for Canadians.
No matter how far she plays in Madrid, getting that first win of the season is significant, and who knows what it can do for her outlook and confidence as the French Open draws closer.