A day with Bianca Andreescu’s Coco – Poodle

She’s a globetrotting ace, a compatible travel companion and, of course, a big fan of peanut butter.

Ever since Bianca Andreescu exploded on to the pro tennis scene in 2019, it’s been clear she isn’t the only superstar in her family. Toy poodle Coco has become a fan darling, most often seen sneaking a quick look out of her bag in the player’s box to watch Andreescu put on a show.

Coco has been spotted at many of Bianca Andreescu’s major tournaments. Coco was seen when Andreescu was into her winning ways in Toronto and the US Open in 2019 and also during her run to the 2021 Miami final. The 4 year old poodle, the very smart girl is travelling alongwith the Andreescu family on a trip around Europe as Bianca seeks to take back her place at the top of the game.

Not too long back, Bianca walked wtatennis through the challenges and joys of a standard day in Coco’s life.

Andreescu’s poodle is an early riser

“She’ll always wake up around 5:30 a.m. for attention,” Andreescu said. “After 6 hours, she’s like, ‘I need cuddling.’ So she’ll just cuddle up between my mom and me and call for attention for maybe 10 minutes, then she’ll return to bed.

Andreescu’s poodle knows how to express herself

“She’s actually very intelligent. She has a certain way she asks for certain things. If she’s thirsty, she’ll find a water bottle and give it a tap with her nose. If she is hungry, she’ll roll onto her back and get you to rub her belly. And if she has decided to go for a walk, she’ll scrape the door or bark really loud.

“I try to walk her as much as possible. It’s a terrific way to discover cities, because she loves walking. She can walk for 3 hours, even though she’s really tiny. Usually I’ll let her take the lead during a typical walk, unless there’s a specific thing I want to see.

“Yesterday, I went to the beauty parlour to get my nails done. We were walking by the Castel Sant’Angelo and she got exhausted. At that point we’d been strolling for almost two hours. You know she’s fatigued when she starts attempting to trip you. Jumping on you, going in the middle of your legs. Just so we have no other option but to pick her up.

How does Andreescu’s poodle sneak into tournament venues?

“Tournaments don’t always permit pets. Sometimes … I don’t automatically sneak her in. But I’ll speak to some like-minded people, and they’ll be like, ‘OK … and let her in.’

“She’s an excellent training companion. When she’s on the tennis court, she’ll help out by running and getting the balls, but she won’t essentially bring them back to us. She’ll collect them all in her own little corner. But she meticulously gathers all of them, so it’s kind of her way in helping out.

What does Andreescu’s poodle do during match time in the player’s box?

“During my games she’s the best. She’s extremely quiet, she stays in her tiny bag. My mom will hold her up occasionally so I can see her, and this helps me smile if I’m stressed out. It really helps.

How does Andreescu’s poodle travel?

“She’s the coolest when it comes to various time zones. She’s just so pleased to be with us all the time, and she literally does whatever we do. If we’re in the car, she has no difficulty being in the car as well even if it is for a long road trip. But I think it also helps that she went through the entire travel drill when she was younger. We started touring with her when she was less than seven months, so she’s used to it.

“Some flights apparently don’t allow pets. My dad’s is ever so often on the phone for hours trying to find a flight that will consent to Coco, and understandably you have to get documents for her to travel; she has her personal passport, all her vaccinations. That’s the only complicated part of touring with her, though. It’s not tough, it’s just time-consuming.

“But inside the plane, my parents have to conceal her from other people walking by. Because she considers them a threat to us, and she’s very protective. She’ll just start snarling and posturing in an offensive mode. There have been some misadventures. But only in the aircraft! It could be the altitude that makes her like that.”

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