Bianca Andreescu out of Australian Open after struggling to overcome knee injury

Canadian world No 6 has been trying to recover from the injury since withdrawing from the WTA Finals in October

CORRECTION / Bianca Andreescu of Canada celebrates her win over Belinda Bencic of Switzerland during their semi-finals women's Singles match at the 2019 US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York on September 5, 2019.                             / AFP / Don EMMERT
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US Open champion Bianca Andreescu announced on Saturday that she will not be competing at the upcoming Australian Open as she continues to recover from a knee injury.

Andreescu, 19, shot to stardom in September last year when she clinched the first grand slam title of her career after thrashing Serena Williams in the New York final.

However, the world No 6 has been blighted by injury during her short career so far, and missed a large section of the 2019 season with a shoulder injury, before a knee problem struck toward the end of the year.

That same knee issue forced Andreescu to withdraw midway though the WTA Finals in Shenzhen in October, and as she continues her road to recovery she will miss the first major of 2020 in Melbourne.

"It was a very tough decision to make as I love to play in Melbourne but I have to respect the recuperation plan for my knee and body," the 19-year-old Canadian tweeted.

"My rehab is going well, I feel better and stronger every day but after discussing it with my team and following the recommendation of the doctors, the Australian Open is unfortunately too soon in my rehab process."

Despite the injury setbacks, Andreescu still enjoyed a hugely successful 2019 which she started ranked No 178. As well as her remarkable US Open triumph, the Canadian teenager also clinched titles at Indian Wells and the Toronto Open - two of the most prestigious tournaments on the WTA Tour calendar.