On Saturday, nineteen-year-old Bianca Andreescu made history by winning the US Open tennis tournament. She became the first Canadian ever to win a Grand Slam singles title. (In this case, a “Grand Slam” event is one of the four most important tennis tournaments played each year.)
She beat veteran tennis player Serena Williams, age 37.
The crowd at Arthur Ashe Stadium in Flushing Meadows, New York, was rooting for Williams, who is from the United States. The pressure was on Andreescu throughout the match, who at one point put her fingers in her ears to try to block out the loudly cheering crowd.
After the match she told the crowd, “I’ve worked really hard for this moment.” She called Williams “a true legend of the sport,” and said it was “amazing” to play against her.
Andreescu has risen extremely quickly this year. She started 2019 ranked 152nd in the world. After this victory, she is ranked number 5.
Last year, she battled injuries. She says she just kept telling herself not to give up, and to believe in herself, according to CBC News.
Andreescu said she uses meditation and visualization techniques to prepare for her matches–and a lot of hard work.
Andreescu won the Rogers Cup against Williams earlier this summer after Williams had to quit due to injury in the championship match.
Andreescu’s parents, Nicu and Maria, came to Canada from Romania in 1994. Bianca, who lives in Mississauga, Ontario, was promised “the key to the city” (considered an honour), by Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie.
After her victory, the Toronto Raptors basketball team, whose motto is “We The North” tweeted their congratulations to Andreescu, adding the hashtag #SheTheNorth.
DISCUSSION PROMPTS
- Andreescu has accomplished some things that no one has ever done. In order to get to that level, what kinds of things do you think Andreescu has had to:
- practice;
- think about;
- work through; and
- do?
2. This tennis match featured a Canadian against an American. Take a look at some of the international coverage of the event. How was it reported by the Canadian media (for instance, CBC, Toronto Star, Globe and Mail) vs. the American media (for instance, CNN, The New York Times, Sports Illustrated)? How did media in other countries cover the match?
3. The mayor of Bianca Andreescu’s home town said she is going to give the tennis star “the key to the city.” This is a metaphor; cities don’t have “keys.” What do you think this metaphor means?
4. What is the significance of the Toronto Raptors’ tweet and hashtag?
LINKS
BBC: https://www.bbc.com/sport/tennis/49623914
CBC: https://www.cbc.ca/sports/tennis/us-open-final-andreescu-williams-heroux-1.5274905
New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/07/sports/tennis/us-open-serena-williams-bianca-andreescu.html
