Bianca Andreescu just pulled out of the US Open

Mississauga tennis wunderkind Bianca Andreescu, who captured the heart of the nation and the sports world at large when she defeated superstar Serena Williams to win last year's US Open women's singles title at the age of only 19, has unexpectedly pulled out of this year's tournament.

Andreescu took fans by surprise when she announced in an Instagram post on Thursday afternoon that she would not be participating in the 2020 US Open, which is taking place in New York City from Aug. 31 to Sept. 13.

Bianca Andreescu pulls out of the #USOpen. pic.twitter.com/kA0MWfKblD

— Tennis Canada (@TennisCanada) August 13, 2020

The athlete cited her inability to adequately train in recent months due to the pandemic as the main reason for the move, which comes less than two months after she withdrew from the Credit One Bank Invitational back in June.

"I have made the difficult decision not to return to New York this year. I have taken this step in order to focus on my match fitness and ensure that I return ready to play at my highest level," she wrote in the caption.

"The unforeseen challenges, including the Covid pandemic, have compromised my ability to prepare and compete to the degree necessary to play at my highest level," she continued. "I look forward to joining my competitors back on court soon."

Fans' responses to the news appear to be generally supportive, with many reassuring her in the comments section that though they are disappointed, they respect Andreescu's choice and love her "no matter what."

View this post on Instagram

Dear fans, After many discussions with those closest to me, I have made the difficult decision not to return to New York this year. I have taken this step in order to focus on my match fitness and ensure that I return ready to play at my highest level. The US Open victory last year has been the high point of my career thus far and I will miss not being there. However, I realize that the unforeseen challenges, including the Covid pandemic, have compromised my ability to prepare and compete to the degree necessary to play at my highest level. I want to express my appreciation to the USTA and the WTA for all of their efforts in making the event happen. I look forward to joining my competitors back on court soon. B

A post shared by Bianca Vanessa🦋 (@biancaandreescu_) on Aug 13, 2020 at 11:57am PDT

The competitor became the talk of Toronto last summer and fall after winning the Rogers Cup — making her the first Canadian woman to do so in 50 years — followed by the US Open. A knee injury unfortunately prevented her from participating in events such as the Women's Tennis Association Finals.

Still, she got a callout from Drake, a celebratory rally and a street named after her in a matter of weeks, all while being spotted partying around the city with some fellow high-profile athletes.

Fans will certainly miss getting to see her play, but hopefully it won't be too long before we get to witness her magic on the courts once more.

by Becky Robertson via blogTO