Bianca Andreescu is "excited" about the return of the Oldum Brown VanOpen, says it will "increase the profile of women's tennis" in Canada

In a recent video, former US Open champion Bianca Andreescu expressed her excitement about the return of the Oldum Brown VanOpen. The tournament has been given the designation of an ATP and WTA 125 event, and Andreescu believes that will help accelerate the growth of women's tennis in Canada.

"I'm very excited that the Odlum Brown VanOpen is returning and has earned the designation of a WTA 125 event," Andreescu said. "Another tournament of this caliber in Canada definitely helps increase the profile of women’s tennis in our country."

Also known as the Vancouver Open, the Oldum Brown VanOpen will run from 14-21 August 2022. The tournament didn't take place in 2020 and 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic, but is set to make a comeback on tour this year.

However, the tournament will not be an ITF event (which it was earlier) this year since it has been upgraded to an ATP Challenger and WTA 125 event. The Oldum Brown VanOpen, which began in 2002, saw Maria Sharapova become its first champion.

In 2004, the Oldum Brown VanOpen became a WTA tier 5 event. But when it included the men's category in 2005, the tournament received an upgrade and returned back to the ITF circuit.

The event is currently played on outdoor hardcourt at the Hollyburn Country Club in West Vancouver, British Columbia. Lithuania's Ricardas Berankis and Great Britain's Heather Watson are the defending champions this year, having won the men's and women's titles respectively in 2019.

Bianca Andreescu set to return soon after 4 months of inactivity

Bianca Andreescu at the US Open 2021

Bianca Andreescu last featured in a professional tennis match at the Indian Wells Masters 2021, where she failed to defend the title. The Canadian player lost to Anett Kontaveit in straight sets in the second round, which ended up cutting her season short too.

At the start of the 2022 season, Andreescu withdrew from the Australian Open and highlighted how the previous two years had been very "challenging" for her. She also stated that she was affected both "mentally and physically" and thus wanted to give herself some more time to "re-set, recover, and grow."

Andreescu has not won a title on the WTA tour since 2019. She is expected to return to the tour some time over the next month, most likely at the Indian Wells event in March.