Teen sensation Bianca Andreescu has delayed her start to the 2020 season as she withdrew from the Auckland Open set to begin in January.
The US Open champion will miss the warm up event leading to the first Grand Slam of the year due to ongoing knee problems.
Her season ended abruptly at the WTA Finals this year when she was forced to retire from her robin round match against Karolina Pliskova due to her knee problems which ultimately forced her to withdraw from the tournament.
Despite this setback, Andreescu had a phenomenal season as she won the ATP titles at Indian Wells and Toronto as well as the US Open where she defeated former world no.1 Serena Williams. Andreescu became the first teenager since 2006 to win a Grand Slam singles title as a teenager.
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Andreescu began the year ranked at 152 and finished the season within the Top 10, ranking at 5. This year, Andreescu started the season qualifying for the Auckland Open where she defeated all odds to make it to the finals where she lost to Julia Goerges.
Here, she defeated two former world no.1 players, Venus Williams and Caroline Wozniacki and set the stage for what was to come in her career.
The ASB Classic is set to begin on January 6, with Serena Williams taking the place of top seed.
Competing for the title will be defending champion Julia Goerges, Jelena Ostapenko, Coco Gauff and former world no.1 Caroline Wozniacki who has announced her retirement from the sport after the Australian Open.
In other news, multiple Grand Slam champion Kim Clijsters is set to return to tennis after a seven-year absence. Clijsters initially planned to play at the Australian Open next month but sustained a knee injury which has forced her to postpone her plans.
Clijsters will make her return at the Abierto GNP Seguros in Monterrey in March following which she will play at Indian Wells where she has emerged victorious twice before. To round it off, she has committed to play at the Charleston Open in April.
Clijsters has taken a break from tennis before in 2007 and successfully returned to tennis two years later which makes the odds of her returning to tennis in full swing very strong. Clijsters said:
“With so many inspirational athletes and moms competing, I can’t wait to get back on the match court and see what’s possible after having three children.”
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