Bianca Andreescu continues to rebuild her career this week, with the 2019 US Open champion involved in Roland Garros qualifying.
And Andreescu has started off very brightly in Paris, defeating home favorite Daphnee Mpetshi Perricard 6-3, 6-2.
The Canadian, who is a three-time WTA champion and former world number four, has been plying her trade on the ITF tour in recent times.
She now finds herself 160th in the rankings, but is looking to once again achieve the enjoyment she felt as a 19-year-old US Open champion.
Andreescu defeated Serena Williams in the 2019 final, and has now looked back on that stunning 6-3, 7-5 victory in New York.
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Bianca Andreescu looks back on 2019 US Open final vs Serena Williams
Andreescu told BBC Sport: “The one thing that stands out for me was the confidence that I had and the fearlessness and the enjoyment that I had on the court – it was more of an innocence.
“I’m a different person now and in a different time in my life, but it’s still a part of me.
“It’s not that I’m necessarily… trying to replicate [the past], because I don’t think that’s possible.
“But I’ve done it once – I know I can do it again.”
It was a truly sensational success for Andreescu, with the teenager knocking out the likes of Caroline Wozniacki and Belinda Bencic before toppling Williams.
Bianca Andreescu suggests how her career could have been different
While it was a moment of pure elation for the Canadian, the Grand Slam title did understandably produce difficult moments.
Recalling her stunning success at the age of just 19, she said: “I don’t think it’s possible to really prepare yourself [for a Grand Slam victory], especially if you haven’t gone through that before, but I wish I had a little bit more guidance after the US Open.
“You think you know everything at 19, and I just remember I’m not one to ever ask for help, but I am a little bit better at that now.
“So maybe if I did, things would have been different.”
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Andreescu has definitely been missed on the WTA Tour since that moment, but she now has a great chance to return to the big time at Roland Garros.
And she’s already proven just how popular a figure she is in Paris, initiating a round of applause for Perricard and consoling her following their qualifying match.
The really classy gesture was appreciated by the fans, who will now be desperate to see Andreescu reach the main draw.
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