Andreescu Falls in US Open Qualifying Final

Former US Open champion Bianca Andreescu lost in the final round of qualifying to Tamara Zidanšek, failing to reach the main draw for another year.

Former US Open champion Bianca Andreescu has failed to qualify for the main draw of the tournament, losing in the final round to Tamara Zidanšek. The Canadian, who won the title in 2019, last appeared in the US Open main draw in 2024 where she lost in the first round.

Andreescu had led the match by a set and a break before suffering a dramatic collapse. She had previously enjoyed a straightforward passage through the first two qualifying rounds, dropping only six games combined. Her final hurdle was a player ranked outside the world's top 140.

A Harsh System

The loss underscores the unforgiving nature of professional tennis rankings. The system offers no refuge for past achievements, brutally exposing players who have not performed consistently over the preceding 12 months. This often forces former champions and stars to battle on the Challenger tour or in qualifying draws for elite events.

Players in these matches compete with a palpable desperation, making it a tough environment for a well-known name.

Other players, like Qinwen Zheng and Grigor Dimitrov, have successfully navigated this path, emerging from US Open qualifying unscathed. Andreescu, however, joins the list of those who have not. This year also saw her lose in the qualifying rounds for Roland Garros. Fans can check the latest fixtures to see who has made it through.

The 2019 Breakout

The qualifying defeat marks a stark contrast to the heights Andreescu reached just a few years ago. Her 2019 season was a remarkable breakout, seemingly coming from nowhere as she had not played a single WTA Tour-level match in 2018.

Her incredible summer began with a title at Indian Wells, where she beat four top-20 players in the last four rounds. Her victims included world number six Elina Svitolina and number eight Angelique Kerber. An injury during that run began a difficult period of physical setbacks, but she returned for the summer hard-court season.

Andreescu then won a second WTA 1000 title in Canada, defeating Serena Williams in a final that ended with Williams's retirement. She capped the season by beating Williams again in the final of the US Open. That victory made her the first player to win the US Open women's singles title in their main-draw debut. Details of such historic runs are part of the sport's rich stats.

Her defeat in qualifying means she will watch another US Open from the sidelines, a far cry from her triumphant debut five years ago.

Source: Tennishead