Tennis-Andreescu splits with coach Bruneau after French Open exit

(Reuters) - World number seven Bianca Andreescu on Tuesday announced she has split with longtime coach Sylvain Bruneau, a week after falling in the first round of the French Open.

The pair had worked together for four years as Andreescu made her breakthrough with three titles in 2019, including the U.S. Open.

"It is with a heavy heart that I would like to inform my fans that my long time coach, mentor and friend, Sylvain and I, have mutually decided to end our incredible coaching relationship," Canadian Andreescu wrote on Twitter https://twitter.com/Bandreescu_/status/1402203295394021382.

"Our friendship will live forever ... I am very grateful for everything we accomplished together and all of our great memories.

"Sylvain was more than a coach... he is family."

Andreescu, 20, returned to action at this year's Australian Open, having missed 15 months due to a knee injury.

A positive COVID-19 test subsequently ruled Andreescu out of both Madrid and Rome before an abdominal injury forced her to pull out of Strasbourg at the quarter-final stage.

Her most recent appearance at Roland Garros ended with a 6-7(1) 7-6(2) 9-7 defeat by Slovenia's Tamara Zidansek.

(Reporting by Hardik Vyas in Bengaluru; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne)