"It became difficult to enjoy my sport" - Andreescu on decision to take break from tennis

Bianca Andreescu is in Berlin where she will kick off her grass season but prior to the event, she spoke to Star about what prompted her decision to step away from tennis for a while.

She revealed that she had been through so much chaos that listening to herself and enjoying her sport became a struggle:

"I’d gone through so much chaos that it had become difficult to really listen to myself and enjoy my sport. I thought that I was dealing with it in the best way that I could, but I ended up finding out that I had to go through that moment to really know how to truly deal with things, how to truly deal with adversity. I felt that if I continued, I wouldn’t be able really find that."

She cited the pandemic, her grandmother becoming severely ill from COVID and catching the virus herself as among the things that took a toll on her mentally. During her time off, she travelled to the Dominican Republic and Costa Rica where she participated in a retreat. She did yoga and meditation there, including qigong, a mind-body-spirit practice from traditional Chinese medicine.

She further added:

"Being away from the sport made me realize that I truly loved it. And working on myself more than I ever have was super important in that process, because I learned how to love myself in a better way. I felt that I was basing my self-worth at times on my results and when I wouldn’t have that, it wasn’t good. But now that I have that basis, I have the time to process this is how it’s going to be, this is how I want to run my life. It’s really changed a lot. I’m just enjoying everything, really enjoying the process, all the hours in the gym and I’m super committed."