Former US Open champion Bianca Andreescu has suffered a surprising early exit from the 2025 French Open qualification tournament, falling to Japan's Nao Hibino in a dramatic three-set battle that lasted 2 hours and 31 minutes.
The Canadian star, once ranked fourth in the world but currently sitting at WTA 102, was overwhelmed by world number 200 Hibino who secured a 2-6, 7-6(7-5), 6-4 victory despite entering the match as a significant underdog. Bookmakers had placed Andreescu as the overwhelming favorite with odds of just 1.03 for the win.
The match featured a remarkable turnaround after Andreescu dominated the opening set. The critical moment came in the second set when the Canadian failed to convert a match point while returning in the ninth game. She then couldn't serve out the match in the tenth game before surrendering a 5-2 lead in the tiebreak.
According to Statbet's tennis performance metrics, this type of upset where a player fails to convert match point opportunities occurs in less than 8% of WTA qualification matches.
This was the first-ever meeting between the two players. Both had advanced from the first qualification round with Andreescu demolishing Yao Xingxin 6-0, 6-0, while Hibino had defeated Andrea Lazaro Garcia.
Hibino will now face Germany's Ella Seidel (WTA 114) in the final qualification round, aiming to secure a spot in the main draw of Roland Garros 2025.
