Bianca Andreescu feeling 'way less pressure' as she turns focus to 'bigger picture' at San Diego Open

Former US Open champion Bianca Andreescu says her comeback this season is going better than expected and she is feeling «way less pressure» than before. Andreescu, 22, enjoyed a breakout year in 2019 when she won Indian Wells and then beat Serena Williams in the final of the US Open. She was the first teenage Grand Slam singles champion since Maria Sharapova in 2006 and hit No.

4 in the world rankings. Ad But over the last few seasons, she has struggled to stay on court due to a combination of injuries, Covid-19 issues and mental health challenges. US Open'This dress is so bad!' — Andreescu apologises after outburst over outfit during match29/08/2022 AT 21:29 After losing at Indian Wells in the autumn of 2021 she took a six-month break to help her recover physically and mentally, spending time at a retreat in Costa Rica.

Although she has not yet hit 2019 heights this season, she is satisfied with the way the year has panned out after beating in-form Liudmila Samsonova at the San Diego Open. «I think I'm doing better than I expected,» she said. «I try not to have any expectations going into this season but it's definitely better than I thought.

Taking so much time off, you never know what you're going to do. »For me, this is the bigger picture kind of thinking that I'm doing with my coach. So it's not short term, it's more long term.