Bianca Andreescu explained what it was like to play Serena Williams at the US Open.
At just 19 years of age, the Canadian reached her first to date only Grand Slam final and it came against arguably the game’s greatest player in front of her home fans at Flushing Meadows.
The Canadian was tasked with doing one of the toughest things in tennis and that was to defeat the American at a major.
With the crowd against her and a legendary tennis figure standing across the net, Andreescu played with no fear and caused one of the biggest upsets in Grand Slam final history.
Bianca Andreescu shares insight into playing Serena Williams
Andreescu played scintillating tennis to defeat Serena Williams 6-3, 7-5 and secure the biggest win of her career.
The player fell to the ground in disbelief as she became the first Canadian to win a Grand Slam and the first teenager since Maria Sharapova in 2006 to win a major.
Recalling that proud moment, Andreescu said she played with no pressure and tried her best to remain composed in a challenging environment, especially for a young player.
“It’s obviously different looking back, because back then I had no pressure,” she told the Tennis Letter Podcast. “I was just, you know, a kid climbing up the ladder and I was just having fun out there. I was blocking out the noise, or trying to.
“I could barely hear myself think really. It was really, really loud. But I guess that’s what makes this tournament so special.
“I just tried to stay as composed as I could. It’s hard to just block everything out, but I think I did a pretty good job at that.
“I mean going back and watching that match over and over again and it’s really nice to know that I have that under my belt, like no one can ever take that away from me.”
What was Bianca Andreescu’s record against Serena Williams?
Andreescu played Williams on two occasions and both came in 2019. The first took place in the final of the Canadian Open in Toronto.
After much buildup and anticipation, the match lasted just 19 minutes as the former World Number One was forced to retire while trailing 3-1 in the first set.
The 23-time Grand Slam champion was in tears as a back injury left her unable to continue.
They would meet in the US Open final just a month later, when Williams missed the opportunity to equal Margaret Court’s tally of 24 majors.
Furthermore, the loss to Andreescu was her fourth successive Grand Slam final defeat, which marked the longest stretch of her illustrious career.
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