There is a version of Bianca Andreescu’s story that is often told: the teenager who came from nowhere and went on to win the 2019 US Open by defeating Serena Williams in straight sets in the finals and disappeared. It is a remarkable story, but the narrative that followed later is the one that gets more attention. 

In a candid interview on The Changeover Podcast, the 25-year-old Canadian revealed the downside of success that no one prepares you for: the changing relationships, the self-doubt, the individuals that pop up when you are winning, and the ones that fade away when you are losing.

“Some people wanted to work with me just because I was a top player, or they’d ask for things more often,” Andreescu said. “That’s just part of the sport. You learn to stay centred. My parents stayed the same. They always call me out, which I love because it keeps me grounded.” 

In an era where everything changes after a Grand Slam title, especially when it has come unexpectedly, everyone’s behavior changes around the player. But the closest people to her were consistent, which was essential. 

The sudden fame from the title was too much to handle for the Canadian. Andreescu was caught up in self-doubting herself after people questioned her as the “one-time wonder.” She started to feel that the achievement did not belong to her. 

“I’ve felt imposter syndrome at times, like, did I really accomplish that? Sometimes I even forget, which is good in a way, but it can affect your confidence too,” she said.

The US Open win is nearly too big to comprehend, even for the individual who made it possible. Especially, competing in a final of a Grand Slam and playing Serena Williams, a 23-time Grand Slam champion and a player she idolized, had a kind of emotional impact that almost overwhelmed her even before a ball was hit.

“She was someone I grew up watching, so playing her was a dream come true. But I was so nervous before the match, I was wiping away tears walking onto the court.” 

Her coach’s message: play the ball, not the opponent, became her anchor. 

“I was really good at compartmentalising, focusing on what I wanted to do rather than who I was playing. I wasn’t doubting myself at all. I was just in the zone from A to Z.”

Looking back, even she cannot fully explain how she held it together. “I honestly have no idea how I did it. It’s all a blur.”

The next few years after that breakthrough were characterized not by the rise but by a fall, a successive wave of physical setbacks. Her season did not have time to gather momentum when she sustained a knee injury in the 2019 WTA Finals. Her return was wiped out by the pandemic.

A shoulder injury, subsequent absences, and then the arduous effort to regain form from the bottom of the rankings. At her peak, she was world No. 4, but her body had to give her a long run before she was fighting her way back through ITF events, the level to which most Grand Slam champions never come back.

Bianca Andreescu’s comeback to the WTA tour

That wisdom won with difficulty now forms the basis of her rebuilding. After years of injury and interruption, the 25-year-old has made her presence felt again. In 2026, Bianca Andreescu won two ITF titles, and a streak of 14 straight matches in just a bit more than two weeks has challenged her physically in a manner she has not been challenged in years. To a player who had been wondering so long whether her body would stand the test, the response was indeed reassuring. 

“It was nice to know my body can handle that stress again. I don’t think I’ve ever played that many matches in such a short time. It was nice to finally hold a trophy again. It had been seven years since the US Open, so that was really beautiful,” she said on the podcast. 

What drives her now is simpler and perhaps more durable than anything that came before. “For me, it’s all about effort and intention. If I have those two things, everything else will come.”

The outcomes have shifted her ranking in the right direction, but she is still out of the top 100. This is a reminder of how much the time off due to injury costs even the most gifted players.

Currently sitting at world No. 128, with an impressive season record of 19-6. The Ontario native, having missed the inaugural Grand Slam of the year, will look to make her place at the clay court Grand Slam in May.

She is transitioning from the Billie Jean Cup to the European clay court swing. Andreescu started her red dirt season at Charleston, where she made it to the R32, losing to 16th seed Sofia Kenin in straight sets. Away from the winnings, the Canadian continues to focus on her process, which has inspired her comeback this season.