Bianca Andreescu: How former US Open champion and world number four went to the bottom of the tour to rise back up
Andreescu was struggling with injuries; Abdominal and ankle problems were keeping him off the field, and his 2025 season was postponed due to appendectomy surgery.
His form has deteriorated and he has failed to advance beyond the fourth round at a Grand Slam since his US Open victory; While its ranking was fourth in the world in 2019, it fell to 228th at the beginning of this year.
At the start of 2026, she decided to return to an environment where she had not played since 2018, swapping her life on the WTA Tour for a life in the ITF.
Tournament rankings run from W15 (lowest tier) to W100. Andreescu was competing in the W35 and W75 editions and the total prize money for the W35 tournament was around £26,000.
The composition of the ITF tour generally consists of young people trying to make their mark in the sport, women who cannot qualify for the WTA Tour or players using this tour to regain their old form.
The crowds may be small and the referees rare, but the competition on the field is fierce.
“I was struggling with women’s hunger, every match was very difficult, and I feel that on the WTA Tour the athletes are a little more relaxed about some things,” says Andreescu.
“Some things are paid for [on the WTA Tour]. But on that [ITF] At that level, you don’t get paid for anything and you can barely break even. I was there at one point, so I know how it is.
“I don’t want people to get the idea that the ITF tour is Mickey Mouse compared to the WTA Tour because that’s not the case.
“I have great admiration and respect for the women who continue to work on the tour, because it is not easy, even on the WTA Tour it is not easy.”
Vemic, who joined Andreescu’s team in September 2025, echoed these thoughts.
“Every player there has to prove themselves and everyone is hungry and they don’t get bored of playing on tour for many years,” he says.
“They are all driven by their dreams and passions because many of them are young athletes.
“So sometimes it’s a transitional part or phase of moving from junior to professional waters, and some of them have a lot of confidence.”
