Bianca Andreescu to miss Australian Open

Bianca Andreescu, who suffered a knee injury at the WTA Finals in Shenzen, is undergoing a rehabilitation programme now, and had earlier opted out of the Auckland Classic.

Bianca Andreescu. (Source: Twitter)

US Open champion Bianca Andreescu will miss the Australian Open later this month as she continues to recover from a knee injury, the Canadian teenager said on Saturday.

World number six Andreescu, who suffered the injury at the WTA Finals in Shenzen, is undergoing a rehabilitation programme, she said on her Twitter page.

“…the Australian Open is unfortunately too soon in my rehab process and I sadly will not be able to play in it this year,” the 19-year-old wrote.

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“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.”

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

The Canadian teenager last month opted out of the Auckland Classic, a traditional warmup event for players fine-tuning their game ahead of the Australian Open.

Andreescu was a qualifier in Melbourne last year and lost to Anastasija Sevastova in the second round.

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She went on to win her first WTA title at Indian Wells and then beat Serena Williams in the finals in Toronto and again at Flushing Meadows to clinch her first Grand Slam crown.

A knee injury in the WTA Finals forced her to retire from her round-robin match against Karolina Pliskova before she pulled out of the season-ending tournament.

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On the other hand, known names like Andy Murray, Juan Martin Del Potro, and Kei Nishikori are also set to miss the year’s first Grand Slam which begins on January 20.