Canadian tennis star Eugenie Bouchard has officially retired, closing her professional tennis chapter with an emotional final match in front of a home crowd at the Canadian Open in Montreal.
Key Highlights:
1. Emotional Final Match
- Bouchard, 31, lost 6-2, 3-6, 6-4 to Belinda Bencic in the second round.
- After a tough first set, she rallied in the second but couldn’t hold off Bencic in the decider.
2. Retirement on Home Soil
- The Montreal native chose her hometown tournament as her farewell stage.
- In a heartfelt on-court ceremony, Bouchard said:
“I remember being a little kid, sitting in these stands hoping and dreaming that I would play on this court one day… it feels like a full circle moment.”
3. Career Highlights
- Best year: 2014, when she reached:
- Semi-finals at the Australian Open
- Semi-finals at the French Open
- Finalist at Wimbledon, making her the first Canadian to do so in a Grand Slam singles.
- Semi-finals at the Australian Open
4. What’s Next?
- Bouchard has already transitioned to the Professional Pickleball Association Tour, joining ahead of the 2024 season.
Other Canadian Open Highlights:
In Montreal (Women’s):
- Jessica Pegula, Madison Keys, and Emma Raducanu advanced to the third round with straight-set wins.
In Toronto (Men’s):
- Ben Shelton defeated Adrian Mannarino and will face Eugenie Bouchard Nakashima next.
- Frances Tiafoe made a gritty comeback to beat Yosuke Watanuki.
- Stefanos Tsitsipas continued his slump, losing to Christopher O’Connell.
From rising star to trailblazer, Eugenie Bouchard’s legacy will live on in Canadian tennis — and now, in the world of pickleball.