Former US Open champion Bianca Andreescu has suffered another setback in her tennis career, as the 24-year-old Canadian announced she underwent an emergency appendectomy, postponing her highly anticipated return to competitive tennis. Andreescu, who has yet to kick off her 2025 season, revealed the news through a heartfelt Instagram post, assuring fans that she is recovering well but won’t return to action until the clay court season.
Andreescu had initially set her sights on making her season debut at the Merida Open in Mexico (February 24 to March 2) after missing the season-opening Auckland Open and the Australian Open for the second consecutive year. The Merida tournament was seen as a key part of her comeback strategy following a turbulent period marred by injuries and personal challenges. However, her plans were abruptly derailed when she began experiencing severe abdominal pain, which led to the emergency surgery. In her statement, Andreescu shared her disappointment at the setback:
“Training was going so well, and I was very excited for the Merida Open to be my first tournament of the 2025 season,” she wrote. “However, I unexpectedly started experiencing some sharp pain in my stomach, which led to an emergency appendectomy. The surgery went smoothly, and I’m on the road to recovery. My plan is to be back on the court for the clay season, stronger than ever.”
Andreescu’s career has been a roller coaster since her breakthrough year in 2019, when she won the US Open, becoming the first Canadian to win a Grand Slam singles title. Since then, injuries have plagued her, preventing her from building on that success. After missing significant portions of the 2023-24 season due to a back injury, she had hoped that 2025 would mark a fresh start. Unfortunately, personal reasons had already delayed her season’s kickoff, and now the emergency surgery has pushed her comeback plans further down the line.
Last year, Andreescu played in 10 tournaments, including high-profile events like Wimbledon, Roland Garros, and the Olympic Games, though she struggled to regain her peak form amid ongoing fitness issues. Her most notable result in recent seasons came at the 2023 Wimbledon tournament, where she showed flashes of her previous brilliance but was ultimately unable to go deep into the tournament.
Andreescu’s revised comeback timeline now revolves around the clay court season, which typically kicks off in April. The Canadian will be hoping to return fully fit and ready to compete in major clay tournaments, including key warm-up events leading to Roland Garros, where she will look to make her mark once again. Clay has historically not been her strongest surface, but with a renewed focus on recovery and preparation, Andreescu hopes to return stronger both physically and mentally.
The 24-year-old will face challenges in regaining her rhythm and confidence after another lengthy absence from competitive tennis. With the 2024 Paris Olympics and other missed opportunities fresh in her memory, Andreescu will be under pressure to make the most of her return later this year. However, her fans and supporters remain optimistic that her fighting spirit, which once propelled her to the top of the tennis world, will once again shine through.
As she recovers from her appendectomy, Andreescu has promised to stay motivated and work hard to be ready when the time comes. With her eyes set on the clay season, the tennis world will be eagerly watching to see if the former US Open champion can once again rise to the occasion and reclaim her place among the elite of women’s tennis.
