Eugenie Bouchard Made Her Pro Pickleball Debut: Eugenie Bouchard made her professional pickleball debut earlier this year, her tennis career is far from ended.
Eugenie Bouchard, 30, has stated she plans to compete in more tournaments and her professional tennis career is not over. However, she has clarified that pickleball is her priority, and she cannot commit to a full tennis schedule.
The 2014 Wimbledon runner-up made her professional pickleball debut early this year. She announced her plans to try the sport in September of last year. Despite losing her pickleball debut on the first day of the PPA Tour Hyundai Masters in Palm Springs, Bouchard said the experience “went better than I expected.” She admitted that switching from tennis to pickleball wasn’t simple.
“See, pickleball is crazy. I find it crazy to play a different sport. My brain has been developed for tennis because I’ve been playing for 25 years.” Bouchard stated in January, “I like to either completely whiff the ball or I just hit the tip of the paddle and miss my shot.”
Eugenie Bouchard Pickleball
Some believed that Bouchard’s pickleball shock also signaled the end of the Canadian’s professional tennis career. However, the 30-year-old never announced her intention to end her professional tennis career. Bouchard, though, has only played once this year in May, she participated in an ITF tournament in Zephyrhills, Florida, and advanced to the quarterfinals before retiring in the middle of her match against Kayla Day.
The former world No. 5 wants to compete in tennis tournaments whenever her schedule allows, especially after performing well in Zephyrhills.
Tennis tournaments will be scheduled where I can make time for them. My passion is tennis, and I want to continue playing it. Although the pickleball program takes precedence, Bouchard made her pro pickleball debut and expressed her desire to include tennis competitions in an interview with The Times.
“I want to achieve everything I can. I should be aware that there will be limits because I’m not pursuing a full-time tennis schedule. She believes my goal is to compete as best as possible in each unique tournament and monitor the results. However, I adore tennis and don’t want to give it up just yet.”
Bouchard on what inspired her to try pickleball
Ten years ago, Bouchard had an incredible start to her career. She reached her first Major final at Wimbledon, losing to Petra Kvitova after making consecutive Grand Slam semifinals at the Australian and French Opens. Many considered Bouchard one of the game’s most gifted and promising players. However, she struggled to maintain her success at the beginning of 2015 and suffered an infamous concussion at the US Open that year.
Bouchard never regained her 2014 form in the following years. A major shoulder injury in 2021, which required surgery, further hindered her progress. Despite her best efforts, Bouchard made her pro pickleball debut but couldn’t improve her tennis results after being out of the game for 17 months.
The 30-year-old Canadian was thrilled to get the opportunity to play pickleball since it would let her try something new and push herself in different ways.
“It just seemed like such a special chance, and I enjoy being a part of something that is currently so well-liked and expanding so swiftly. There’s pushing myself as well. I’ve played tennis for 25 years, and I find that doing something new challenges my intellect” stated Bouchard.
Bouchard recently discussed her thoughts on what tennis needs.
It was evident that Bouchard and Maria Sharapova didn’t get along after Bouchard publicly referred to the Russian as “a cheater” when the Russian was banned for doping. However, neither Bouchard nor Sharapova ever made that publicly known in their interviews.
However, that has since altered after Bouchard acknowledged that her rivalry with Sharapova “was real” in an interview with YouTuber Valeria Lipovetsky.
Bouchard went on to say why she thought that was fantastic and why she thought tennis needed more of it.
“I believe it would improve and add excitement to tennis. We need tough guys like Nick Kyrgios and former great John McEnroe.” Therefore, it started with me just sharing my viewpoint about how much I support clean, fair sports. If the personalities were a little more expressive, I think tennis would be so much more entertaining,” Bouchard remarked.