"I was ashamed to go to school... they laughed at me" - Bianca Andreescu looks back at difficult moments during school days

Bianca Andreescu has tapped into her inner author and co-written a children's book called 'Bibi Got Game: A Story about Tennis, Meditation and a Dog Named Coco' with Mary Beth Leatherdale.

The Canadian is currently in Romania to promote the book that will be launched on November 4 at the Humanitas Bookstore in Cișmigiu. She recently gave an interview to Gazeta Sporturilor, a Romanian publication, and talked about various aspects of her personal and professional life.

The interviewers asked Bianca Andreescu about her school days and how she balanced her studies and playing tennis. The 23-year-old recalled going for trials at Tennis Canada and her parents sacrificing their time to travel with her for tournaments when she was 11. This also meant that Andreescu had to miss classes frequently.

"I remember there were trials for Tennis Canada (no - the Canadian federation). I did the appointment over the weekend and the coaches and people there liked me. They took me from the age of 11. That's when I started playing tournaments, traveling. At first, I was traveling alone, but I didn't really like it. Then, my parents sacrificed a lot for me. They took a lot of time off work. That's a big sacrifice. I made sacrifices at school too," she said.

Bianca Andreescu realized the magnitude of the sacrifices that her parents were making a few years later, when she was in high school. At that time, the Canadian was undergoing intense training and could only attend school for two or three hours a day.

When Andreescu attended the classes, she often felt embarrassed as her classmates made fun of her for carrying a bag full of rackets. During those tough days, it was her parents who made her realize she needed to ignore what people were saying and focus on her career.

"I didn't realize it until I was 13-14 years old, when I went to high school in Canada. I went to training about four times a day. I was doing fitness, I was doing a lot. I only went to school for two or three hours a day," Bianca Andreescu said.

"I was ashamed to go to school. I had to bring the bag with rackets, and some kids asked me why I was doing that, they laughed at me. I was ashamed! But my parents told me that if I want to do this, it doesn't matter what people say. It was hard for me, but I listened to my parents," she continued.

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Bianca Andreescu shares what she told Serena Williams after US Open 2019 final

Serena Williams and Bianca Andreescu

During her interview with Gazeta Sporturilor, Bianca Andreescu also recalled the words she exchanged with Serena Williams after the two played the final at the 2019 US Open.

Andreescu defeated the 23-time Slam champion 6-3, 7-5 that day to win her first Grand Slam trophy. After the match, the former World No. 4 complimented the purple outfit that Williams wore for the title contest.

Andreescu also said she was mentally prepared for the biggest match of her career, and ready to go toe-to-toe against one of the best players in tennis history.

"I told her she looked really good in what she was wearing, she had a purple dress, I liked it, I had something purple back then too. But I never felt... Yes, she's Serena Williams, but to get on the court, I had to get on her level, mentally," she said.

The Canadian was 20 years old at the time and seeded No. 15 at Flushing Meadows. She entered the tournament after winning two WTA 1000 titles that year - at the Indian Wells Open and the Canadian Open.

In New York, Andreescu defeated Katie Volyents, Kirsten Flipkens, Caroline Wozniacki, Taylor Townsend, Elise Mertens, Belinda Bencic and Serena Williams to taste Grand Slam success for the first time.