Former US Open champion wins hearts with touching gesture for heartbroken rival: Watch

Former US Open champion Bianca Andreescu won the hearts of the tennis world with a touching gesture for tearful teenager Daphnee Mpetshi Perricard after their French Open qualifying clash in Paris. While Andreescu secured a comfortable victory on court, it was her sportsmanship after the match that became the biggest talking point.

Emotional scenes unfolded after Mpetshi Perricard, playing in front of her home crowd, broke down in tears following her defeat. Instead of celebrating her victory, Andreescu immediately turned her attention to the 17-year-old French player. The Canadian encouraged the crowd at Suzanne-Lenglen’s court to applaud her opponent before walking over to comfort her with a warm hug and words of encouragement.

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The moment quickly went viral on social media, with fans and tennis experts praising Andreescu for her compassion and empathy. Roland Garros also shared a clip online with the caption “Absolute class from Bianca Andreescu”.

Andreescu later explained why she felt compelled to comfort the teenager. The 2019 US Open champion said she understands the emotional pain of tough defeats and the mental challenges players face during their careers.

“I’ve been in that position many times. Tennis can be so mentally demanding. We’re all out here chasing the same dream and sometimes you just need someone to remind you that it’s okay. She played with such heart today,” Andreescu said after the match.

For Mpetshi Perricard, the defeat was particularly emotional as it came at her home Grand Slam. The youngster, who is the younger sister of ATP player Giovanni Mpetshi Perricardo, entered the tournament as a wild card and hopes to progress in front of the French fans.

ANDREESC DOMINATED BY MPETSHI PERRICARD

Andreescu produced a balanced performance to beat Mpetshi Perricard 6-3, 6-2 in the opening round of French Open qualifying. The Canadian started strongly, racing to a 4-0 lead in the opening set with aggressive baseline play and consistent returns. Although the French teenager fought back briefly by winning three straight games, Andreescu regained control and closed out the set.

The second set was more competitive early on, with Mpetshi Perricard saving a few break points to stay level at 2-2. However, Andreescu’s experience proved decisive in the end as she won four games in a row to complete the victory in straight sets.

Andreescu has been trying to rebuild her career after dealing with multiple injuries over the past few seasons. After being ranked No. 4 in the world and hailed as one of tennis’s brightest stars after winning the 2019 US Open at the age of 19, the Canadian has spent much of the past two years battling fitness issues and playing ITF qualifiers and tournaments to regain his rhythm.

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Issued by:

sabyasachi chowdhury

Published on:

20 May 2026 18:04 IST