'Let me embrace this time': Eugenie Bouchard excited to play in her last tournament before retirement

Canada’s Eugenie Bouchard’s career is coming to an end next week in her home country, where she will feature in the Canadian Open. The 31-year-old’s career is divided into two parts. One where she became one of the best players in the world in 2014 and 2015, and the other where she struggled to get through the early stages of her career.

In 2014, Bouchard played in the semifinals of the Australian Open and the French Open, and the final of Wimbledon. In Melbourne, she lost to China’s Li Na. In Paris, she came second-best against former world number one Maria Sharapova. In her only Grand Slam final, she lost to the Czech Republic’s Petra Kvitova in straight sets with a score of 6-3, 6-0.

Since that final, Bouchard’s career has taken a downward turn, and she has never managed to return to her very best. In the subsequent 27 attempts at the Grand Slams, Bouchard managed to qualify for the quarterfinals on just one occasion. Over the past few years, Bouchard has explored various options for her professional career. She featured in the padel events and also worked as a pundit in different broadcasts of competitions. Recently, Bouchard announced that she will retire after competing on her home soil.

Before that, she decided to feature in the doubles event at the ongoing DC Open in Washington. Her journey in the competition was short-lived as she and her partner Clervie Ngounoue lost in the first round encounter against the pair of the former world number one Venus Williams and Hailey Baptiste in straight sets with a score of 6-3, 6-1.

I am actually excited: Eugenie Bouchard

Ahead of her final week as a professional tennis player, Bouchard highlighted the reasons behind making such a significant decision, especially at the age of 31. Bouchard also stated that after making the decision, she was nervous, but now she has reached a point where she wants to ‘embrace’ what’s coming next.

“Well, look, I obviously started doing the pickleball stuff about a year and a half ago, so that already had me playing a lot less tennis,” Bouchard was quoted in a report by English media outlet Daily Express. “I think all good things come to an end. I love tennis. I'll always love tennis. I will stay involved in tennis. But it just takes so much dedication, sacrifice, and, you know, dedicating your entire life to have a chance to make it. That's something I have done my whole life thus far. For me, at a certain point, that's just not worth it anymore. So I'm kind of at that stage. Right before I announced it, I was kind of stressed about this whole situation and had this thought of, ‘Oh, I just want to fast-track until August and put it all behind me’. And then I got such an outpouring of support and so many people reached out to me, and I saw so much positivity out in the universe.I was, like, ‘Okay, wait, let me embrace this time’.”

Bouchard further went on to highlight that she is ‘excited’ to play in her last competition at the highest level next week in Montreal. “It's such a unique time in my life and something I have never done before and will never do again, really, unless I retire from my normal office job in 40 years,” said Bouchard. “So I'm like, ‘You know what? I'm actually excited’. First I was quite stressed about the whole ordeal, and then seeing the love I got, feeling so supported and appreciated made me feel so excited. So I'm looking forward to it. I want to make it like a celebration, not a funeral and see everybody.”