After battling several injuries last season, Bianca Andreescu returned to the tennis circuit in 2026, competing on the ITF tour to gain match practice and assess her performance. Recently, Jessica Pegula, along with compatriot Jennifer Brady, spoke about how the Canadian is setting her ego aside to rebuild her career following her injury struggles.
In 2025, Andreescu’s season was affected by injuries, causing her to miss several tournaments. Out of the four Grand Slam events, she only participated in the French Open and the Wimbledon Championships, where she was eliminated in the qualifiers for both. She concluded her 2025 season after competing at the Toray Pan Pacific Open.
Jessica Pegula and Jennifer Brady React to Bianca Andreescu ‘Grinding’ on ITF Tour After Injury Struggles
The 2026 season has started brilliantly for Andreescu, as she has already won two ITF tournaments. She claimed the W35 Bradenton title in Florida by defeating Vivian Wolff with a score of 6-2, 7-5, and then won the Vero Beach International Tennis Open by beating You Xiaodi 7-5, 6-1 in the championship match.
While speaking on the “Player’s Box Podcast,” Brady, who made her own return to the Tour after two years due to injury struggles, stated that Andreescu ‘inspired’ her to compete on the ITF Tour instead of entering the Australian Open qualifiers during her comeback.
Brady’s first competition upon returning to the Tour was the 2026 San Diego Open, where she reached the semifinals before losing to eventual champion Elvina Kalieva.
“Yes, I did. Me and Jess were texting about it earlier this year and I was like should I go grind some ITFs and not play Australian Open qualies? She did inspire me. She made me question everything,” Brady said.
Brady also revealed that she was initially not ready to play on the ITF Tour, but Pegula encouraged her to compete. She praised Andreescu’s approach, describing it as “smart” for “grinding” on the ITF Tour to gain match practice and build her confidence.
“I was like, I’m not ready. And Jess was like, “Yeah, do it.” Like, “Of course. Great idea.” She’s like, “I love it.” I love that she’s grinding and she’s just getting matches and building up her confidence, making sure her body’s ready to compete again. It’s smart. It’s a tough decision,” she added.
Pegula added that she respects Andreescu for putting her ego aside and competing on the ITF Tour, considering that she is a former Grand Slam champion, having won the 2019 US Open and a couple of WTA 1000 titles.
“A lot of injuries for her, but I respect it. I mean, it takes a lot to go and play challengers after you’ve won a Slam and you’ve won a 1000. To put your pride aside and your ego aside and just go and battle like good for her. And to win them, it’s pretty cool,” Pegula said.
Looking ahead, Andreescu is expected to compete at the 2026 ATX Open, scheduled for February 23 to March 1, 2026. The matches will be held on outdoor hard courts at The Westwood Country Club in Austin, Texas. She will participate in the qualifying rounds, aiming to secure a spot in the main draw.
In addition to Andreescu, other players expected to compete in the WTA 250 hard-court tournament include defending champion Pegula, Peyton Stearns, Xinyu Wang, Eva Lys, and Anna Blinkova, among others.
