Andreescu has brace on foot, awaiting official test results
Published
Bianca Andreescu tweeted an update Tuesday after being forced to retire from her Round of 16 match against Ekaterina Alexandrova at the Miami Open Monday due a lower left leg injury.
"Woke up with a brace on my foot… anyone know what happened?" Andreescu wrote. "On a serious note tho… that was the worst pain I’ve ever felt… praying for nothing serious. Still waiting on official results. Thank you everyone for your thoughts and kind words, doesn’t go unnoticed."
The 22-year-old, who was up 2-0 in the second set after dropping the first set in a tiebreak, fell to court and yelled "not again" after the injury. She was taken off the court in a wheelchair, unable to put weight on her leg.
"I’m just really sorry that it happened to [Andreescu]," Alexandrova said, per the WTA. "Seeing her on the court in so much pain, it’s just painful to watch. You cannot help, you just can do nothing, which is terrible. And I think she’s going to be fine soon, and I’m wishing for her speedy recovery.
"The first set was super tough and great, and it probably could be a pretty good match for both of us, but unfortunately [Andreescu’s injury] happened."
Andreescu had risen back to 31st in the WTA rankings entering play in Miami and was enjoying a strong run with victories over Emma Raducanu, No. 7 Maria Sakkari and Sofia Kenin to reach the Round of 16.
Canada's first-ever Grand Slam singles champion reached the final at the tournament last year, retiring against Ash Barty while down a set and trailing 4-0 in the second.
"Last time I played here in 2021, I did not enjoy myself," Andreescu said after her victory over Kenin on Sunday. "I did not feel that I deserved to be in that final.
"But this year, I feel like a totally different person, and I definitely feel I deserve to be here right now."
Andreescu missed over a year of action shortly after claiming her first career major title at the US Open in 2019. She returned from a 15-month competitive absence at the 2021 Australian Open after suffering a torn left meniscus at the WTA Tour finals in October 2019.
The Mississauga, Ont. native was 6-6 in singles play this year entering the Miami Open, where she won three straight matches for the first time since the Thailand Open in early February. Andreescu was also forced to retire in her fourth match of that tournament due to a shoulder injury but returned to play less than a week later in Abu Dhabi.