Bianca Andreescu: Why playing doubles at 2020 Fed Cup is good for her and Canada

Jackie Spiegel

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Bianca Andreescu: Why playing doubles at 2020 Fed Cup is good for her and Canada image

Not having Bianca Andreescu, the sixth-best player in the world, playing a singles rubber has obviously left a big hole for the Canadians in Fed Cup qualifying. Canada heads into the final day of competition for its qualifier trailing Switzerland 2-0 after losses Friday by Leylah Annie Fernandez and Gabriela Dabrowski .

Slated to play in the doubles — which is not guaranteed to occur unless there is a tie — Andreescu's participation in the event is good for both parties in any capacity. She'll add a veteran presence to the squad while getting in some much-needed court time as she returns to the game.

Entering the 2020 Fed Cup, she holds a 7-3 record in singles play and 3-0 in doubles in the history of the tournament, but she only played one WTA doubles match in 2019 — a Round of 64 loss at the U.S. Open.

Mental boost

The 2019 U.S. Open champion hasn't stepped foot on a competitive court since the WTA Finals in late October when she suffered a left knee injury. She skipped Auckland's ASB Classic, where she made her first final last year, and the 2020 Australian Open . Considering the amount of time off, seeing any action should provide a mental boost and sharpen her toughness on the court.

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"Don’t get me wrong, I’m super happy for everyone that’s playing, especially Sonya (Kenin) — she did an amazing job the whole tournament," Andreescu told Tennis Canada's Tom Tebbutt on Tuesday. "But I really wanted to be there so it’s also tough at the same time. If there’s one thing I learned from being off and not playing is to stay as patient as possible because I have a long career ahead of me and I don’t want to rush anything and make things even worse than they are."

When asked about what has been the most important thing she's done in her rehab, she responded, "I think it’s the mental aspect of everything. I think that’s the most important thing for me. I know I talk about it a lot – but I really do believe in it. I think if I’m healthy mentally then my knee will sort of sort itself out but at the same time, I’m going to have to do exercises for it and rest, which I’ve been doing. But I think the mental part is an extra thing that helps me the most."

Now here's the crux — yes, singles has its own mental acumen but doubles is on a whole other level. The mental elements of doubles are high as you have to rely on a partner and strategize in regards to the best ways to handle each and every point and situation. If you hit the ball down the line, how does it set yourself or your doubles partner up for the next shot? If your teammate serves out wide, where does the net person stand? Who takes the middle of the court on specific plays?

Doubles keeps the mind crisp and the skill level high, and considering the strong net and all-around game Andreescu possesses, this is an opportune time for her to get back into the game.

Less travel

A tennis court is 23.77 meters long and 8.23 meters wide for singles and 10.97 for doubles. On her march to the championship in Flushing, N.Y., Andreescu traveled on average 1,798 meters per match and 15 meters per point — that's a lot of wear and tear on a body, especially for someone recovering from a knee. 

Sharing a court with one of the greatest doubles players to come out of Canada in Gabriela Dabrowski, who is the seventh-best doubles player in the world, will cut down on her travel over the course of a match. In addition, playing doubles removes the side-to-side action that occurs throughout a singles match that could put more torque on a knee; doubles is more up and down in a straight line when splitting the surface area of the court, with net play that doesn't have a high dosage of running or movement involved.

The key to volleying is quick reactions and short bursts of energy to produce shots. The fact she does not have to do it all on her own, does not have to travel all across the court and run down every ball — while still getting game action under her belt — is a positive step in her return.

Good for Canada

Let's be honest: not having Andreescu play singles is not great for Canada when Switzerland is throwing out No. 5 Belinda Bencic. But having the 2019 Rogers Cup winner with the team and around an up-and-coming star like Fernandez will only help elevate the younger player's game. Hitting with, speaking to and learning from the 19-year-old Andreescu would provide a guidance and a mentor for Fernandez, who is two years her junior and a rising star herself.

Jackie Spiegel