Bianca Andreescu to take mental break from tennis

Bianca Andreescu currently sits at No. 46 in the official WTA rankings and hasn't played since she fell to Anett Kontaveit at Indian Wells in October, according to the WTA website. Andy Abeyta/The Desert Sun / USA TODAY NETWORK

2019 U.S. Open champ Bianca Andreescu skipping Australian Open, taking break from tennis

By Zac Wassink | Last updated 12/6/21

2019 U.S. Open champion Bianca Andreescu will not be participating in the Australian Open scheduled to take place in Melbourne next month.

Andreescu took to Twitter on Monday to confirm she isn't playing in the year's first Grand Slam and is taking a break away from the sport:

pic.twitter.com/wGkYwrdXdE
— Bianca (@Bandreescu_) December 6, 2021

As noted by Sky Sports , the former world No. 4 defeated Serena Williams in the 2019 U.S. Open final to become the first Canadian to win a Grand Slam singles title. Andreescu suffered a knee injury during the WTA Finals in October of that year that sidelined her throughout the 2020 pandemic-altered season, and the 21-year-old tested positive for COVID-19 this past April, per ESPN.

Andreescu currently sits at No. 46 in the official WTA rankings and hasn't played since she fell to Anett Kontaveit at Indian Wells in October, according to the WTA website.

Former world No. 1 Naomi Osaka famously withdrew from the 2021 French Open after she was fined and threatened with disqualification for refusing to take part in mandatory press events. Osaka cited mental health reasons for that decision and ultimately took her first break away from the sport.

She once again stepped away from competitive tennis following her loss at the U.S. Open in September.

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