Eugenie Bouchard didn’t appear like a participant limping into retirement.
You’d be forgiven for considering she was nonetheless in her prime.
On centre court docket in her hometown, Bouchard delivered an exciting efficiency — and a heartfelt goodbye to tennis — with a hard-fought loss in her last match Wednesday evening.
“I’ve at all times had a sense I’d finish my profession right here,” mentioned Bouchard. “Montreal is the place I used to be born and raised, so it simply feels proper. An emotional second. I feel I simply wished a second like this as a result of my profession deserved a second like this.
“I actually suppose I acquired it tonight, and I am so grateful for that.”
The 31-year-old from Westmount, Que., bowed out 6-2, 3-6, 6-4 within the Nationwide Financial institution Open’s second spherical in opposition to seventeenth seed Belinda Bencic, however battled courageously and electrified the gang in opposition to a top-tier opponent — exhibiting flashes of the assertive sport that when powered her rise to world No. 5 in 2014.
So is she positive about retiring?
“My sister mentioned she began a petition with followers within the crowd, and everybody signed it, so now I’ve no selection however to rescind my retirement,” Bouchard mentioned, smiling. “However there’s loads of exhausting work that goes into tennis. It was nice to have the ability to carry out properly, however it’s such a troublesome lifetime of sacrifice and exhausting work.
“I’ve given a lot to tennis, and it is given me a lot, however I do really feel prepared to maneuver on from that and do different issues in life, however I’ll perpetually be glad about what tennis has given me.”
Bouchard had prolonged her Montreal run with a throwback first-round upset Monday evening in opposition to Emiliana Arango, her first WTA Tour victory since 2023.
The native favorite turned again the clock once more Wednesday by rallying from down a set, however Bencic held on to win the match in two hours 16 minutes.
Montrealers packed the stands at IGA Stadium, chanted “Let’s Go Genie!” and grew louder all through the nice and cozy summer season evening, standing up for a number of ovations.
Bouchard returned the favour with an emotional, teary-eyed speech throughout an on-court ceremony.
“It is so particular to play my final match right here in Montreal, on this court docket, in entrance of you guys,” she mentioned. “I bear in mind being a little bit child, sitting in these stands, hoping and dreaming that I’d play on this court docket at some point.
“It appears like such a full-circle second.”
And her profession virtually continued a little bit longer.
After a troublesome first set, Bouchard bounced again to win the second and went up a break early within the third, successful a back-and-forth third sport when Bencic’s shot dipped into the web on the Canadian’s fifth breakpoint alternative.
Bencic regrouped and broke again to tie at 3-3 as Bouchard sprayed photographs vast and lengthy. Trailing 5-4 and needing to carry serve, Bouchard fell in a 40-love gap and despatched her backhand vast whereas defending the second match level, ending her bid at a large upset.
“I knew I may win the match,” she mentioned. “It was actually shut from the second onward.”
As an alternative, it marks the tip of a roller-coaster profession.
Bouchard peaked throughout a banner 2014 season, successful her solely WTA singles title, reaching the Australian Open and French Open semis and changing into the primary Canadian to play in a Grand Slam singles last at Wimbledon.
However Bouchard’s speedy rise at 20 years outdated additionally rapidly got here falling down after her 6-3, 6-0 loss to Petra Kvitova on the All England Membership.
Her extremely anticipated homecoming one month later ended abruptly with a 6-0, 2-6, 6-0 loss in opposition to American qualifier Shelby Rogers on the then-called Rogers Cup. And the next yr, Bouchard crashed out of the French Open and Wimbledon first rounds as shedding streaks piled up.
A run to the U.S. Open fourth spherical hinted at a return to kind, till Bouchard suffered a concussion from slipping within the locker room — for which she later filed a lawsuit — forcing her to withdraw from the match.
In recent times, Bouchard has sporadically performed on the professional tennis circuit, spending extra time on the PPA Pickleball Tour, the place she ranks twelfth in singles.
She ramped up for her last occasion with the WTA 125 Corridor of Fame Open in July — her first match since final yr’s NBO — and misplaced her opener in straight units.
As for what’s subsequent, Bouchard says she seems ahead to sleeping in, occurring a trip and reflecting on what she needs to do with the remainder of her life.
“I really feel like I missed out as a result of I did not go to school and did not go to high school,” she mentioned. “Diving into the TV stuff extra is certainly one thing I get pleasure from, in order that’s a possible subsequent step. I imply, are any of you guys hiring (laughing)? I do not know how you can even write — what do you even name it whenever you…”
The phrase Bouchard was on the lookout for? Resume.
“I do not even have a kind of,” she mentioned. “Possibly my agent can give you one for me. I am not used to doing that.”
