Andreescu may retire from the finals like Naomi Osaka because of a lower-back injury after playing vs. Simona Halep

Naomi Osaka and Bianca Andreescu were arguably the most exciting players to follow during these WTA Finals. On one side, the Japanese was back at her best form after the US Open to win 10 consecutive matches (11 with the 1st match in Shenzhen against Kvitova). On the other, Bianca was the biggest surprise on the WTA tour of the year with her sensational triumphs in Indian Wells, Toronto and at the US Open.

Unfortunately, things are taking the wrong turn for both. Naomi Osaka had to withdraw from the competition because of a problem with her right shoulder. Bianca lost the opening match against Simona Halep when she was unable to convert a match point. In the 3rd set, Andreescu’s movements were hampered by a problem to her lower back.

Will Bianca withdraw with injury?

Andreescu’s mood after losing to Simona was rather bleak as she also admitted that she had some nasty problems with her lower back. When asked if she could drop out of the competition, she replied: “We’ll see.”

Talking about the match, Bianca commented:

“It was a good match. She fought really hard. I didn’t take my chances in the second set, so I’m really disappointed about that.

I really don’t want to blame my back, but I felt like I didn’t have the same power [in the third set] as I did in the first and second sets. But I fought well with what I had in the third. I’m proud of that. Still, pretty disappointed.”

Andreescu’s previous injuries

Unfortunately, the Canadian is quite prone to injuries. Earlier this year, she played so much tennis that she got a nasty injury to her right shoulder that sidelined her for various months before her fantastic comeback and the titles in Toronto and at the US Open. In Canada, she won the tournament while struggling with her groin on the right leg.

Her coach acknowledged that they need to play a bit smarter with their schedules in 2020 to avoid more problems with Bianca’s body.

Bianca Vanessa Andreescu’s ranking and performance in 2019

Ranked no.4 (career-high), Bianca Vanessa played her last match on the 28^th of October when she was defeated by Simona Halep 3-6 7-6⁶ 6-3 in the Round Robin in Shenzhen.

This year Andreescu has a 46-6 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.

Osaka in Shenzhen, ranking, and results in 2019

Ranked no.3, Naomi has a 40-11 win-loss record in 2019. Naomi is now having a run in Shenzhen where she defeated Petra Kvitova 7-6¹ 4-6 6-4.

Bianca Vanessa Andreescu and Naomi Osaka played each other 1 time. The head to head is 1-0 for Osaka.

The last time that they played each other, Naomi Osaka won 5-7 6-3 6-4 in the quarter in Beijing on the 04^th of October 2019.

Here the highlights.