Andreescu pulls out of Billie Jean King Cup to focus on health after injury-marred season

Bianca Andreescu has withdrawn from Canada's team in the Billie Jean King Cup finals.

Tennis Canada said in a news release that Andreescu, from Mississauga, Ont., is focusing on her health after she battled injuries throughout the season.

She returned from a nine-month absence due to a back injury at this year's French Open before taking more time off following a first-round exit at the U.S. Open, where she was champion in 2019.

She recently returned to play two events in Japan in October, reaching the quarterfinals of the Toray Pan Pacific Open.

Leylah Fernandez (Laval, Que.), Rebecca Marino (Vancouver), Gabriela Dabrowski (Ottawa), and Marina Stakusic (Mississauga) will form the Canadian team at the Billie Jean King Cup finals, which start later this month in Malaga, Spain.

Canada is looking to become the first team since Czech Republic in 2016 to defend its world title, starting with a quarterfinal clash against the winner of Britain and Germany on Nov. 17.

Gauff defeats Swiatek, assures Sabalenka's No. 1-ranking

Coco Gauff earned her second victory over Iga Swiatek in 13 career matchups, winning 6-3, 6-4 at the WTA Finals on Tuesday to reach the semifinals of the season-ending tournament.

The result means that Swiatek can't move up from No. 2 in the rankings this week, so Aryna Sabalenka will finish the year at No. 1 for the first time.

It was Gauff's first victory over Swiatek since the 2023 Cincinnati Open, snapping a four-match losing skid head-to-head. Gauff, the 2023 U.S. Open champion, also put an end to five-time Grand Slam champ Swiatek's six-match unbeaten run at the WTA Finals, an event the Polish star won a year ago.

The win moved Gauff to 2-0 in the Orange Group, while Swiatek fell to 1-1. Swiatek had rallied to beat Barbora Krejcikova in three sets on Sunday in her first match in two months.

Krejcikova, the Wimbledon champion, kept her chances of advancing alive with a 6-3, 6-3 win over Jessica Pegula. That eliminated Pegula, who lost in straight sets to Gauff in their opening match in Saudi Arabia.

Krejcikova was the last player to qualify for the event for the top eight players on the women's tennis tour, earning her berth thanks to her Grand Slam title at the All England Club in July. At No. 13, she became the lowest-ranked player to win a WTA Finals match since Magda Maleeva 22 years ago.