No pasta, no wine, no problem for Bianca Andreescu in Rome
Safe to say, Bianca Andreescu will not be doing what so many Romans do this fortnight. Believe it or not, there will be no pasta, tomatoes, eggplant or potatoes -- or even a drop of that terrific Italian wine.
“Being in Rome now, it’s so freakin’ difficult,” Andreescu said Wednesday. “But I know that it makes me feel good. I haven’t touched alcohol in six months. Six months sober, and I’m going to continue with that.”
Andreescu, who won the 2019 US Open as a teenager, has struggled with a debilitating series of injuries and illness ever since. The most recent setback was emergency surgery to remove her appendix back in February. She recently began her 2025 on clay and had lost three of four matches coming into the Internazionali d’Italia.
Earlier Wednesday, Andreescu defeated 20-year-old Italian wild card Federica Urgesi 6-0, 6-3 to advance to the second round where she’ll play No. 20 seed Donna Vekic on Friday.
Afterward, the 24-year-old Andreescu opened up to reporters about the lessons she’s learned and how an aggressive diet has her feeling optimistic about resuming her career. From a merely physical standpoint, she seems to have transformed her body.
“A lot of people have been complimenting my body,’’ Andreescu said, laughing. “I’m becoming leaner, too, with age. But for me, most of my injuries have come from being a bit too overweight. Too much stress on my joints and ligaments. Becoming lean has been one of my main goals.”
As a result, Andreescu -- currently No. 121 in the PIF WTA Rankings -- has become something of an expert in nutrition. After a long search, she’s settled on the tenets of Dave Asprey, founder of the popular “Bulletproof Diet” and a four-time best-selling New York Times author.
“He stays away from certain vegetables -- and I used to eat all those foods,” Andreescu said. “And since I eliminated those, it’s completely changed how I feel. I feel less bloated.”
She’s gone from 85 percent to 100 percent gluten-free and dairy-free and, depending on where she is, adjusts her diet accordingly. For example, Andreescu said, based on soil quality, it’s better to eat chickpeas and beans in Europe rather than North America. She’s also a big fan of Asprey’s coffee brand -- don’t get her started on the insidious relationship between mold and coffee beans.
“I can talk all day about nutrition,” Andreescu said.
What she’d rather do, quite frankly, is play tennis.
After losing five consecutive opening matches in WTA 1000 events, Andreescu broke through at the Madrid Open a few weeks ago before losing a second match to Elena Rybakina.
Does she feel cursed, having to make so many comebacks?
“Oh, my gosh, in a way,” Andreescu said. “I have my days where I go, `Maybe this is just how my career’s supposed to go.' But I do have faith in the positives. I think it’s always a constant learning experience for me. Some players might have other challenges. Maybe my challenge is my body.
“Coming off of a surgery, I think that takes months and months to fully regenerate,” Andreescu said. “I feel good. I have no pain, which is the most important thing. I feel like I have a great mindset going into this new season for me.
“But I say that every season.”
