Bianca Andreescu: The new teenage sensation in tennis is enjoying a meteoric rise unlike any other this year

In sport, and generally in life too, we are always fascinated by the incredible stories of people who are unheard of. These stories inspire us, remind us of our own little stories of struggle, and give us hope, belief and joy in our own journey of life.

One such story from the tennis world in recent times has been that of Canadian teenager Bianca Andreescu's rise to glory and stardom.

The player who Andreescu defeated twice in the space of just 7 days, Germany’s Angelique Kerber, might have called her the “biggest drama-queen ever”. But the young Andreescu’s journey so far this year has been truly phenomenal.

Yes, she has been creating all the drama and hype, but that is because her tennis racquet is producing some incredible and breathtaking magic. Her dominance on the courts this year can best be understood by the list of seeds and quality players that she has defeated so far - the likes of Angelique Kerber, Venus Williams, Elina Svitolina, Garbine Muguruza have all had the fate of losing to this teenage phenom.

The most remarkable aspect of Andreescu's dream run has to be the maturity and resilience that she has shown despite being just 18. Her game has a lot of variety, making her a lethal opponent for a player of any stature. Her strong serve and powerful forehand, coupled with the finesse that she possesses, makes her look like a complete player even at such an early age.

Andreescu seems to have every shot in the book, every trick in the armoury and most importantly a shrewd tennis brain, thus completing the list of ingredients essential for a bright future.

Andreescu not only made it to the final of the Auckland Open at the start of year but was also a runner-up at the Oracle Challenger Series. Her sensational run from being a wildcard to being a champion at Indian Wells in the desert of California has been nothing short of spectacular, and undoubtedly the biggest tennis story of the year so far.

Andreescu translated her winning ways from Indian Wells into the Miami Open this week too as she reached the 4th round before unfortunately pulling out mid-match due to a shoulder injury in her clash against Anett Kontaveit, putting an end to her fairy-tale run in the hard-court season.

Andreescu’s remarkable journey on the hard courts this year and the way she has performed so far has glimpses of Rafael Nadal’s rebellious attitude when he first burst on to the scene. Just like Nadal, Andreescu has been taking on every opponent head on, while showing a tremendous amount of fight and courage.

Only time will tell how well the young but temperamental Andreescu can adapt her game on the slower and bouncier surface of clay, and if she can demonstrate the necessary patience and willingness to suffer on the grueling red dirt. But she definitely has the potential to trouble reigning Roland Garros champion Simona Halep and the likes of Naomi Osaka, Maria Sharapova, Muguruza and many others come this French Open.

But that's for later. For now, all we can do is cherish and applaud the coming of age of Andreescu, who has climbed 154 places in the WTA rankings within just three months to occupy a career high rank of 24. That's a meteoric rise if ever there was one.