'Fight for your dreams:' Andreescu embraces path to US Open joy

Teenager Bianca Andreescu said Saturday's US Open final triumph felt all the more rewarding after a 2018 qualifying defeat left her feeling particularly low and languishing outside the world's top 200.

This time last year a despondent Andreescu was sat at home nursing an injury and coming to terms with a second successive failed attempt at making the main draw in New York.

"It's definitely a process of life. You're never going to have ups all the time. So I think in those moments, you just have to deal with it the best that you can, which is to just keep fighting for your dreams and just stay as persistent and persevere as much as you can," Andreescu said.

"I know in those moments you feel like you can't. But if you believe that there are good times ahead, then those tough moments are definitely worth it. I think it builds you as a character. I think everyone should go through it because it just makes you stronger."
"Since then, honestly I've been visualizing it almost every single day. For it to become a reality is just so crazy. I guess these visualizations really, really work."
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"I think that this win will hopefully do that, not only this win but just what I've accomplished this past year because so many Canadian athletes have paved the way for me when I was young. Hopefully I can be that person to them."