Bianca Andreescu’s victory in the 2019 US Open was a welcome development in the arena of Canadian sports. Andreescu, who became the first Canadian to win a Grand Slam, has now become a major sports personality in her home country. Coincidentally, Andreescu’s outstanding achievement came just a few weeks after a different Canadian entity gave the country pride in another sport.
Toronto Raptors’ NBA victory
Before Andreescu’s marvelous run in both the Rogers Cup and U.S. Open, the Toronto Raptors was arguably the crown jewel of the Canadian sports industry.
In fact, the NBA games featuring the Raptors were such a hit in Canada. Various viewing parties were organized especially in its home city. Television ratings also indicated that the NBA Finals Game 5 is currently the most-watched program in the country for the year.
Bianca Andreescu’s breakout year
On the other hand, Andreescu has been having her most successful year yet in the tennis courts. Despite missing most of the clay and grass-court seasons, her amazing victory over tennis icon Serena Williams in both the Rogers Cup and the U.S. Open solidified her status as one of the sport’s rising stars.
Andreescu gets “She the North” monicker
Because of her stunning rise to the top of the tennis world, a lot of Canadian sports fans have started calling Andreescu “She the North.” The moniker, a reference to the Raptor’s tag line, was already used two years ago to foster inclusiveness and diversity in the Canadian sports scene. When it was first used, “She the North” was utilized to reach out to more young girls so that they will be active in sports. It seems that Andreescu took that tag line to heart.
Raptors’ coach Nick Nurse, for his part, has approved calling Andreescu with this nickname. The basketball coach praised Andreescu’s performance in the U.S. Open, complimenting her “swag.” He also predicts that Andreescu will earn a lot of fans in the next few years.
He also admonished many Canadian sports fans for pitting the achievements of Andreescu and the Raptors with each other. He insists that there is room for both to flourish in their respective sports.
The Toronto Raptors, meanwhile, seem to be fine with sharing the spotlight with another Canadian sports personality. When Andreescu won, the official Twitter account of the team posted a picture of a No. 1 Raptors jersey with her name. The jersey is found next to a Larry O’Brien trophy and was posted with the caption “SHE THE CHAMP!”
Bianca Vanessa Andreescu’s ranking and performance in 2019
Ranked no.5 (career-high), the Canadian played her last match on the 7th of September when she defeated Serena Williams 6-3 7-5 in the final in U.S. Open to win her 3rd career title.
This year the Canadian has a 43-4 win-loss record. Bianca Vanessa conquered 4 titles in 2019 in the Newport Beach, in Indian Wells, in Toronto and at the U.S. Open. The Canadian was the finalist in Auckland.
Bianca Vanessa Andreescu |
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