Yahoo Sports Bianca Andreescu withdraws from Australian Open due to knee injury
Reigning U.S. Open champion Bianca Andreescu will not be at the Australian Open later this month, she announced on social media Saturday.
Andreescu officially withdrew from the Grand Slam event due to a knee injury she first suffered at the WTA Finals in China in October.
Hey guys, just wanted to give you a little update on my knee rehab after I got injured at the WTA finals in Shenzhen. My rehab is going well, I feel better and stronger every day but after discussing it with my team and following the recommendation of the doctors, the Australian
— Bianca (@Bandreescu_) January 11, 2020
Open is unfortunately too soon in my rehab process and I sadly will not be able to play in it this year. It was a very tough decision to make as I love to play in Melbourne but I have to respect the recuperation plan for my knee and body. I can’t wait to come back to Aus soon x
— Bianca (@Bandreescu_) January 11, 2020
Juan Martin del Potro and Richard Gasquet also withdrew on Saturday due to their own knee injuries, according to the Associated Press.
Andreescu burst onto the tennis scene last year, rising as high as No. 4 in the rankings despite starting outside of the top 200 in 2018. The 19-year-old won both Indian Wells and Rogers Cup before knocking off Serena Williams in the U.S. Open in September, which made her the first Canadian to win a major singles title. She missed significant time last year due to injury, however, retiring after just one match at the French Open and sitting out Wimbledon.
Andreescu suffered her knee injury three games into her match against Karolina Pliskova at the WTA Finals in Shenzhen, China, in October, and eventually retired. She has not played since.
The Australian Open, the first Grand Slam of the year, will start on Jan. 20 in Melbourne. It’s not clear when Andreescu will make her 2020 debut.
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