October 6, 2024

Open Court

MORE TENNIS THAN YOU'LL EVER NEED

It’s a wild-card summer for Bianca Andreescu: D.C., Montreal, Cincy

Andreescu during her debut as a "pro" at the Mubadala Citi DC Open back in 2017.

Remember back in 2019, when Bianca Andreescu got a wild card into the big Indian Wells tournament – and won it?

As much as fans and media – and even the young lady herself – talk about wanting to wanting to make it 2019 all over again, the 23-year-old will have plenty of opportunities for history to repeat itself during this summer’s hard-court swing.

First, Andreescu received a wild card into the Omnium Banque Nationale in Montreal (although if four more people withdraw, after the news Tuesday that Ons Jabeur wouldn’t make the date, she could get in on her own ranking).

On Wednesday, It was announced that Andreescu, who sat five out of the Mubadala Citi D.C. Open main draw with her entry ranking of No. 50, was going to be awarded a wild card into the main draw of that tournament.

Also receiving wild cards for the main draw in D.C. are Sofia Kenin, Elina Svitolina and Danielle Collins on the women’s side, along with Kei Nishikori, Gaël Monfils and the comebacking Kevin Anderson on the men’s side.

Also a free pass into Cincy

And Open Court has also learned that Andreescu will also be granted a wild card into the Cincinnati WTA 1000 tournament, which takes place the week after Montreal.

(It’ll be interesting to see what they do with the wild cards in Cincinnati. There are five in all (including two top-20 wild cards). The tournament has already awarded one top-20 wild card to the returning Caroline Wozniacki, and a regular one to local player Peyton Stearns. What if Venus Williams wants one? That would leave just one more).

To sum up, everything possible is being done to try to facilitate a renaissance summer for the Canadian, who four years ago won both the Omnium Banque Nationale (in Toronto) and the US Open.

Fernandez, Marino get into qualifying

The good news for Canada is that by elevating Andreescu to wild-card status, she’s off the qualifying list. So is Collins. Those withdrawals, along with the withdrawals of Caty McNally, Anna Kalinskaya and Ajla Tomljanovic, mean that Leylah Fernandez does get into the qualifying draw.

Their BJK Cup teammate Rebecca Marino had already moved into the qualifying after the Russian Kamilla Rakhimova, ranked ahead of her, withdrew.

Fernandez was already entered in the doubles with Taylor Townsend.

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