Baseline Awards of 2019: Biggest breakthrough

Just imagine what 2019 would have looked like for Bianca Andreescu if a shoulder injury hadn’t hindered her for months.

It is safe to say, though, that she did quite OK for herself.

After a stellar junior career, the transition to the pros had been a bit of a roller-coaster ride for Canada’s top player. This was the season the 19-year-old steadied the ride to land among the best in the game.

Ranked outside of the Top 150 at the start of the year, Andreescu reached her first career final in Auckland, New Zealand, to kick off her campaign. She then won a round at the Australian Open and afterward, claimed the top prize at the $125,000 tournament in Newport Beach, Calif.

The West Coast vibe obviously agreed with her because she soon made a major statement afterward by winning the title in Indian Wells, Calif. That result helped her crack the top 25, but soon after, the shoulder problem knocked her out of commission.

Andreescu was ready to go full-on over the summer and in her first appearance during the hard-court stretch leading up to the US Open, she triumphed at the Canadian Open in front of her home crowd. She won when Serena Williams had to retire in the final, but who knew those two would be meeting again in a few weeks’ time?

At the US Open, the No. 14 seed—playing in her first main draw at the tournament—advanced to the final to face Serena again. This time, Andreescu beat the American in straight sets to take home the title, becoming the first player to win the fourth major of the year in their main-draw debut.

She also became the first Canadian, male or female, to win a Grand Slam singles title—an accomplishment that’s generated plenty of praise at home.

If she continues to progress at this clip, expect more accolades to be coming Andreescu’s way in 2020.