Having failed to reach the main draw at the Australian Open and Roland Garros this season, there weren’t many expectations around Bianca Andreescu as she entered the qualifiers at Wimbledon. But the 26-year-old defied the odds and got past the three qualifying rounds to secure a spot in the main draw. This will be her first main draw appearance at a Grand Slam since the 2024 US Open. The Canadian failed to control her emotions as she defeated Aliaksandra Sasnovich 6-3, 7-6 in the third qualifying round.

Andreescu broke down in tears following the remarkable victory and went straight to her team. The past few years have indeed been quite difficult for her due to recurring injuries and poor form, but things are now certainly starting to get better.

The 2019 US Open champion had a strong run in the qualifying rounds of the SW19. She began her campaign by defeating Polona Hercog 6-4, 6-2 in the first round. Her biggest test of the qualifiers came in the second round against Jil Teichmann. Andreescu looked to be headed towards elimination after losing the first set, but ended up making a stunning comeback.

She eventually won the match 6-7, 6-1, 6-4 to keep her main draw hopes alive and march into the final round of qualifying. It was here that she met Sasnovich, who gave her quite a tough fight.

Andreescu won the first set comfortably, but her opponent put in a strong performance in the second. Sasnovich had taken a commanding 5-2 lead at one stage, but Andreescu refused to go down easily. She went on to save five set points and dragged it to a tiebreaker. The Canadian closed out the match by clinching the breaker 7-4 to secure her spot in the main draw.

What makes Andreescu’s qualification to the main draw even more impressive is the fact that she had barely played on the tour during the grass swing. She had only made an appearance at the Libema Open earlier this month, where she had gotten knocked out in the first round by Elise Mertens.

That being said, Andreescu doesn’t have a great record when it comes to Wimbledon. She has a win-loss record of 5-5 in the main draw, having first reached the stage back in 2017. Her best result at the Grand Slam is reaching the third round, a feat she had achieved in both 2023 and 2024. It won’t be wrong to say that it will take a monumental effort for Andreescu to surpass her previous best in the tournament.

Regardless, it means a lot for Andreescu to finally reach the main draw of a Grand Slam after almost two years. A major reason behind her dismal performance at majors has been recurring injuries. She has had to encounter physical setbacks for years now, and this has significantly affected her appearances on the tour.

Injuries have been a huge problem throughout Bianca Andreescu’s career

Andreescu’s first major injury had come back in 2019, just months after she had clinched the US Open title. She had suffered a knee injury at the WTA Finals, and then her return would be further disrupted by COVID. The next notable setback would come in 2023 when a recurring back problem sidelined her for nine months.

Andreescu made her eventual return at the 2024 French Open, where she reached the third round before being defeated by Jasmine Paolini. She would then frequently feature in tournaments until the end of the season. It appeared that a comeback was on the cards, but an emergency appendectomy forced her to delay the start of the 2025 season.

She would face a series of early exits during the season before sustaining an ankle injury at the Canadian Open in July. This would rule her out for more than a month, forcing her to miss the US Open. Ever since making her return in September, Andreescu has alternated between the ITF and WTA circuits.

After continuing to struggle on the tour, the former World No. 4 has now finally got an opportunity to prove herself in a main draw of a Grand Slam. It remains to be seen what kind of draw Andreescu will get at Wimbledon and who she will face in the opening round.