Canadian tennis star Bianca Andreescu has opened up on her injury struggles and how her strength of character and unshakeable belief helped her come out of the darkest phase of her career.

Recalling her toughest moments on the sidelines of the ongoing Miami Open, the 20-year-old Canadian said that she was laid low by knee injuries after a breakthrough 2019 season.

Bianca Andreescu reveals she was ready to play Indian Wells Masters in 2020

The current World Number 9 beat 23-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams in the US Open final to clinch her maiden Grand Slam title in 2019. It was her second straight win over the American after the Rogers Cup final in Toronto that same year.

Andreescu was hoping to build on her success and make further strides up women’s tennis echelons when injuries threw a wrench into the works. 

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The Canadian revealed that while her dodgy knee put her out of action at the beginning of last season, she was ready to return at the prestigious Indian Wells Masters.

However, with the pandemic sweeping the world and strict lockdowns in force all over, the tournament was cancelled.

“Injuries with my knee…I couldn’t play at the beginning of the year. And then right when I was ready to play, the tournament (Indian Wells) got cancelled,” Andreescu said. She added that the setbacks did take her to a mental space where she felt luck down on her luck and spirit.

Andreescu says she sat down with her team and set new goals

Andreescu also spoke about she trusted her “skills” and her “abilities” to fight past the odds and return stronger than ever.

“There was a time when I felt really down on myself,” Andreescu said, adding that she kept telling herself that “not a lot of people have this opportunity, not a lot of people have the skills and the abilities” that she has.

She said that she “sat down” with her team and set new goals, which helped her stay motivated and work her way back into the competitive arena.

Though her Grand Slam return at this year’s Australian Open was cut short after a second-round loss to Hsieh Su-wei, she redeemed herself with a semi-final appearance at the Phillip Island Trophy.

Read More: Fans Troll Bianca Andreescu Over Unawareness Regarding Rule Changes at Miami Open 2021

Continuing with her purple patch, the Canadian reached the last-16 of the Miami Open on Monday with a hard-fought win over the highly-rated American Amanda Anisimova.