Mississauga’s tennis star Bianca Andreescu announces withdrawal from Olympic Games

The world’s fifth-ranked women’s tennis player, Mississauga Bianca Andreescu, announced today she has withdrawn from the 2021 Olympic Games later this month in Tokyo.

Citing the challenges around the pandemic, the 21-year-old posted on Instagram that she was pulling out of the game.

Andreescu peaked on the WTA world rankings at No. 4, shortly after winning her only Grand Slam title, the US Open in 2019. That had followed her winning her hometown tournament, Canada’s Rogers Cup.

The Olympics get underway on July 23 in Tokyo, Japan, where a state of emergency was recently declared and the International Olympic Committee decided to host all events in front of empty stands.