Eugenie Bouchard admitted she couldn’t stop crying on the first day of her tennis retirement. The Canadian sensation said farewell to the sport after her second-round defeat at the National Bank Open on Wednesday night. Bouchard, 31, suffered a 6-2, 3-6, 6-4 loss to 17th seed Belinda Bencic of Switzerland, though not before electrifying the crowd and showing glimpses of the dominance that once propelled her to the rank of world No. 5 in 2014.
Following her thrilling performance, the 2014 Wimbledon finalist capped off a 16-year professional career with an emotional goodbye. “I’ve always had a feeling I would end my career here,” Bouchard said. “Montreal is where I was born and raised, so it just feels right. An emotional moment. I think I just wanted a moment like this because my career deserved a moment like this. I really think I got it tonight, and I’m so grateful for that.”
During her speech, she said she felt ready to move on and highlighted that she wants to “do other things in life”. Bouchard had only played sporadically on the pro tennis circuit in recent years, playing more regularly on the PPA Pickleball Tour, where she is ranked 12th in the singles. But the Montreal star was left feeling emotional on the day that followed her big decision, taking to Instagram to share her thoughts. On her story, she wrote: “Woke up and can’t stop crying over here – seeing all your messages – thank you!”
Among the many to express their well-wishes and pay tribute was British tennis star Emma Raducanu. The 2021 US Open winner wrote: “Thank you, Genie, loved watching you compete and play. Wish you all the best for your next chapter.” Hall of Famer and winner of 39 Grand Slam titles Billie Jean King said: “Congratulations on your retirement. Looking forward to following the next steps in your journey.” Her compatriot and 2023 Billie Jean King Cup doubles partner Gabriela Dabrowski added: “Congrats on an amazing tennis career. Thank you for the memories and always laughing at my jokes.”
Bouchard won the junior Wimbledon singles title in 2012 and peaked during the 2014 season, when she won her only WTA singles title. She also reached the semi-finals of the 2014 Australian Open and French Open. She then became the first Canadian to play in a Grand Slam singles final at Wimbledon, where she was defeated 6-3, 6-0 by Petra Kvitova. Bouchard's rapid rise at the tender age of 20 came crashing down following her loss at the All England Club.
