Women’s tennis continues to add fresh talent, with five players age 24 or younger remaining in the U.S. Open. At the start of the season, no one had thought Bianca Andreescu would be one of them.

Then she went berserk.

Before this year began, Andreescu, now age 19, had played just one match at a major, back in 2017. But Andreescu is playing in the quarterfinals at the Open on Wednesday night, having gone from No. 178 at the end of 2018 all the way up to No. 14 this summer.

Andreescu has made a rapid rise from obscurity this year. She reached a final in New Zealand in the first tournament of the year. At the Australian Open, she won three qualifying matches and reached the second round. She won a title in Newport Beach and, in March, she won the prestigious Indian Wells tournament.

This season, Andreescu has been perfect against players in the top 10 (she’s 7-0). Andreescu defeated Karolina Pliskova, Svitolina and Kerber (Andreescu has beaten Kerber twice). Andreescu also has a lot of variety. Taylor Townsend upset Halep by attacking with volleys. Andreescu hit more shots in the middle, low and fast, and often went up to the net herself before Townsend could.

 Read more at: https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-rapid-rise-of-tennis-star-bianca-andreescu-11567611601