Absent from Melbourne, Bianca Andreescu wins first title—an ITF W35—since 2019 US Open

As a field of 128 women kicked off quests to win the Australian Open Sunday, a former major winner was nearly 10,000 miles away getting ready for the final of another tournament.

Bianca Andreescu finished 2025 ranked No. 227 after another season of multiple health setbacks and struggles to generate momentum. The 25-year-old could have attempted to qualify into the main draw at the first major of the new year, but instead opted to enter the ITF W35 event in Bradenton, Fla as part of a planned three-tournament stretch across the Sunshine State.

The choice may just pay off in the long run.

For the first time since capturing the 2019 US Open title, Andreescu returned to the winner's circle. The former world No. 4 was pushed to three sets in her opening match by Malkia Ngounoue—older sister of Clervie—before stringing together nine straight sets to triumph.

The top seed held off fifth-seeded Vivian Wolff, 6-2, 7-5, to claim Sunday’s championship match. The victorious week is projected to take Andreescu back inside the Top 200 for now, with the next set of WTA rankings published following the Australian Open.

“I haven’t won a tournament in a really long time, so this one definitely means a lot. It hasn’t been an easy journey,” she said in a social media video for the host venue Inspiration Academy.

Andreescu did not appear in any of the main draws at the four Grand Slam events last year, falling in qualifying at Roland Garros and Wimbledon while missing the two hard-court majors due to setbacks. Her most notable effort was a fourth-round run in Rome that included Top 20 wins over Elena Rybakina and Donna Vekic. Andreescu later beat Barbora Krejcikova in Montreal, but suffered torn ankle ligaments for the second time in her career.

Canada’s first major singles champion is seeded second this week at the W35 event in Weston.