Bianca Andreescu, the incredibly talented 19-year-old Canadian sports sensation, has been making headlines left and right, from winning the Rogers Cup and US Open to having an “incredibly fun” style of tennis to watch.
But people have also been curious about her family — the teen’s parents, and her adorable dog, Coco, have been fixtures at her matches.
Though Andreescu herself was born in Mississauga, Ont., her parents are Romanian, and came to Canada in 1994 after her father, Nicu, accepted an engineering job here after graduating from Transilvania University of Braşov. Her mother, Maria, became the chief compliance officer at Global Maxfin Investments in Toronto after graduating from the University of Craiova.
Her parents moved the family back to Romania in 2006 where Bianca started playing tennis at age 7 — with her father’s friend coaching her — but they returned to Canada a few years later. Her mother taught her mindfulness, something she says helps her stay focused and disciplined on the court.
“My mom introduced me to [meditation] when I was really young,” Andreescu told the Women’s Tennis Association earlier this year. “I was maybe about 12. Ever since then I have been meditating and I do a lot of yoga.
That can be seen when Maria is courtside. While her daughter keeps a level head on the court, she can be seen in the stands looking cool, often cuddling the family dog and wearing a giant pair of sunglasses. Evidently, Bianca agrees with this assessment.
“She’s the coolest person I know,” the tennis star said after a match at the US Open.
Another part of Andreescu’s family is her now-famous toy poodle. Coco, the 7-lb, four-legged ball of adorable, has become a familiar face at Bianca’s matches. So vital is Coco’s presence that Mama and Papa Andreescu will go the extra mile to make sure the pup is accommodated.
If she’s not allowed on the seats, they’ll keep her calm on the floor instead of keeping her home.
“We had to keep our hands on her the whole time because she likes to jump up and watch,” Nicu said in an interview with the New York Times.
One of Bianca’s friends, Isabelle Boulais, told the National Post that Coco is likely also Romanian, because the family has a relative who rescues dogs in the country.
No matter where Coco is from, she’s a welcome presence at Bianca’s matches, not only for the tennis star but all the dog’s adoring fans.
Bianca’s love of adorable, fluffy dogs runs deep: before Coco, she had a white pup named Jessica who passed away in 2018.
Despite the loss, Bianca’s got a lot to be happy about. Not only does she have loving parents and a pint-sized dog on her side but also an entire country rooting for her.