Former U.S. Open tennis champion Bianca Andreescu is recovering after an emergency appendectomy and will be sidelined until the clay court season.

The 24-year-old Canadian was expected to make her season debut at Mexico’s Merida Open, starting Feb. 24. She missed much of the 2023 and 2024 calendars with a back injury, with her last appearance coming in October at the Pan Pacific Open.

“I unexpectedly started experiencing some sharp pain in my stomach, which led to an emergency appendectomy, Andreescu posted Thursday on Instagram. “The surgery went smoothly, and I’m on the road to recovery. My plan is to be back on the court for the clay season, stronger than ever.”

Andreescu’s breakout victory came at the 2019 U.S. Open, where the 19-year-old became the first Canadian to lift the trophy. She hasn’t advanced past the fourth round at any grand slam tournament since, however.

Andreescu also won at Indian Wells and the Canadian Open in 2019, when she was named the WTA Newcomer of the Year.

She is currently ranked No. 130 in the world. The clay court season begins in late March.

–Field Level Media