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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Canadian Bianca Andreescu has lauded the team she put together for 2023 for keeping things both tight-knit and entertainingly loose at the same time.

But it always seems like … something happens.

It was more than a bit of a surprise to see Andreescu’s physio, Jean-Pierre Bruyère, on court with another player Sunday at the Mubadala Citi DC Open.

Bruyère, who had been with Victoria Azarenka through two previous stints going back to her best years a decade ago, appears to be back with the veteran Belarussian for round 3.

Here’s what they looked like on court Sunday.

From what we can piece together, it was Bruyère who left “Team Bibi” before Wimbledon, because of a health issue in his family that required his full attention.

But then Bruyère, who is based in the UK, was asked by Azarenka to help her during Wimbledon.

He’s still on board.

Bruyère and Andreescu coach Christophe Lambert are the best and oldest of friends. So it may make for a bit of an awkward situation.

Andreescu did hire another physio (recommended by Bruyère), a 36-year-old former player named Antonio Fernandez-Cantisano (“Canti” for short).

Fernandez-Cantisano is a versatile fellow who has worked as a coach and hitting partner and also worked with Dayana Yastremska as a physio earlier this season.

Very friendly and cheery. So he should fit right in.

But it’s just another challenge for Andreescu, who has had to deal with a number of departures since her return to play after injury.

Last year, she had some drama as her physical trainer Abdul Sillah – a man whose words of wisdom had a huge influence on her – defected for Team Osaka. (Since Osaka hardly played after that, it feels like it probably wasn’t the best move for Sillah in the end).

After the Great Experiment fails, Andreescu must rebuild

And then, a few months later, coach Sven Groeneveld took his leave.

So there hasn’t been a lot of consistency around the 23-year-old Canadian for the last year or so – and it’s not as though she hasn’t tried to create it.

Hopefully, soon, she can get through a whole season without having to deal with any personnel changes, and the drama that can accompany it.

This case doesn’t look like the same kind of outright poach as was the case with Osaka and Sillah, given there were a few intermediate steps. Still, Andreescu and Azarenka may well cross paths in a draw on the hard courts this summer.

Virginie Tremblay back for the summer

Andreescu had been working with French performance coach Baptiste Bardey. But Tennis Canada national strength and conditioning coach Virginie Tremblay – who was there when it all began for Andreescu four years ago – is on board for the summer, including a pre-summer training camp before everyone headed down here to D.C.

If the theme is “let’s do 2019 all over again”, the timing couldn’t be better.

Tremblay was there when it all began – in Auckland, at the start of the 2019 season.

Andreescu went there without a coach, and Tremblay, who was working with her at the time, filled in.

Andreescu, then ranked No. 152 and just 18, went all the way from the qualifying to the final at that tournament, losing to Julia Goerges. Along the way, she defeated Caroline Wozniacki and Venus Williams.

Those were great moments, and the two carved out a nice bit of chemistry together.

Two months later, she won Indian Wells.

Monday vs Kostyuk

The draw at the Mubadala Citi DC Open is brutal even though Andreescu didn’t have to go through qualifying, after being given a wild card by the tournament.

Unseeded, she will face Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine Monday, about 2 p.m.

Kostyuk also is unseeded, but she’s ranked 10 spots higher than Andreescu at No. 34.

The two met for the first time in Hua Hin this year, right after the Australian Open. Andreescu won their quarterfinal 6-0, 7-6 (3).

We’ll see if revamped Team Bibi has a little magic, through this very important stretch of the season.

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