Andreescu confirms 2021 return after missing full season

[November 05, 2020]    (Reuters) - Canada's Bianca Andreescu has fully recovered from a knee injury that forced her to miss the entire 2020 season and intends to play the Australian Open in January, the 2019 U.S. Open champion has said.

Canada's Bianca Andreescu waves after retiring injured from her match against Czech Republic's Karolina Pliskova. REUTERS/Aly Song

Andreescu, 20, has not played on tour since the WTA Finals in Shenzhen last year where she retired with a left knee injury.

"I'm doing really well. The virus kind of pushed me back, and some little personal things here and there, but right now I'm good, I'm training hard ... I'm really looking forward to 2021," the Canadian told the Tennis Majors website.

"I'm perfectly healthy. I just really wanted to take time to build everything in my life, and I think this time off really helped me do that."

World number seven Andreescu said she will be "100%" in Melbourne to play the year's first Grand Slam.

"I wouldn't say I am ready tomorrow to play a match because I am taking it step by step, but maybe in a couple of weeks I will be good," she added.

"I don't want to rush anything but I'm feeling good."

(Reporting by Sudipto Ganguly in Mumbai; editing by Christian Radnedge)

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