Tennis News: Bianca Andreescu's return and Ash Barty addresses Iga Swiatek

While it may seem like Bianca Andreescu should be almost 30 years old simply because she won the US Open several years ago, it is important to remember that the Canadian won the Grand Slam when she was only 19 years old. Andreescu is still only 23 years old and could have many years left to play at a high level. That is if she can stay healthy.

Due to various injuries, Andreescu has not been able to return to the kind of form that allowed her to reach a career-high ranking of No. 4 in October of 2019. She is capable of beating anyone on tour when healthy - besides her Grand Slam victory, she also has won two Masters 1000 titles. Again, though, she has battled a knee injury, tested positive for COVID-19, and had other ailments hold her back.

Andreescu has not played since the National Bank Open in August of 2023. She was bounced out in the round of 64 by qualifier Camila Giorgi in a match that was never close. Andreescu did make it into the round of 32 at both Wimbledon and the French Open in 2023, though, so maybe that should give her some confidence moving forward.

Bianca Andreescu might be returning soon and Iga Swiatek reaches a milestone

She does appear close to returning as well. In a question-and-answer session with her fans on Instagram recently, the Canadian was asked about a potential return. While Andreescu was not overly clear, she implied she could be playing at either the WTA 500 tournament in Strasbourg or the WTA 250 event in Rabat the week before the French Open in late May. Andreescu's answer to the fan question was, "Week before the French Open!! Miss you all so much, can’t wait."

So, Andreescu fans, there is hope for a return soon.

As opposed to returning, Iga Swiatek appears to stay where she is. That is WTA No. 1 which she has held for most of two years. In fact, she recently became just the ninth women's player ever to hold the top ranking for at least 100 total weeks. Based on how young she is - Swiatek is still only 22 years old - and how consistent she plays, she could easily exceed 200 or 300 weeks at No. 1.

The 100-week milestone was not lost on former No. 1s either. According to the official WTA site, several former players offered congratulations to Swiatek. Among them was Ash Barty who said, "One hundred weeks at No.1 is a huge achievement in any era. Congratulations to Iga. I’m so happy for her and have loved watching her hard work pay off."

Monica Seles said, "Congratulations Iga on an incredible achievement of 100 weeks as the number one player in the world of tennis! Your dedication and hard work have truly paid off. Keep inspiring us with your amazing talent on the court!"

Steffi Graf holds the record for most weeks atop the WTA rankings at 377. Martina Navratilova is second-best at 332 with Serena Williams third at 319. Swiatek is the leader among all active players with Caroline Wozniacki next-best with 71 weeks at No. 1.

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