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Bianca Andreescu, defending U.S. Open champion, pulls out of upcoming Grand Slam

Click to play video: 'Canadian Bianca Andreescu, defending U.S. Open champion, pulls out of upcoming Grand Slam'
Canadian Bianca Andreescu, defending U.S. Open champion, pulls out of upcoming Grand Slam
WATCH: Canadian Bianca Andreescu, defending U.S. Open champion, pulls out of upcoming Grand Slam – Aug 13, 2020

Bianca Andreescu will not defend her title at the U.S. Open after opting out of the Grand Slam later this summer in New York.

The Canadian made the announcement on Thursday.

Andreescu hasn’t played a match since suffering a knee injury last October.

Click to play video: 'Canada’s Bianca Andreescu defeats Serena Williams to win US Open'
Canada’s Bianca Andreescu defeats Serena Williams to win US Open

Andreescu says she has to focus on her match fitness to ensure she can play at her highest level upon her return. She says the COVID-19 pandemic has compromised her ability to prepare.

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While she tweeted in support of the United States Tennis Association’s decision to go ahead with the U.S. Open in June, Andreescu pulled out two months later.

The 20-year-old Andreescu, from Mississauga, Ont., hinted she was nearing a return before COVID-19 shuttered the sports world in March. But Andreescu, ranked sixth in the world, didn’t enter any of the four events before the U.S. Open in the sport’s restart in August.

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