Eugenie Bouchard was overcome with emotion as she addressed the crowd for the final time in her on-court career on Wednesday night.
Bouchard, 31, shocked fans earlier this month when she confirmed plans to bring the curtain down on her career at the National Bank Open in Montreal.
After flying through the opening round, Bouchard was dumped out of the competition by Belinda Bencic after a 6-2, 3-6, 6-4 defeat to her Swiss counterpart.
Bouchard then took to the microphone to address fans and, more importantly, thank her family, coaches and support team as she called time on her career.
Speaking on Wednesday, Bouchard said: ‘Tennis has given me so much. I am filled with so much gratitude for this sport and the people that helped me along the way’.
Bouchard then attempted to address her family but choked up and needed a moment to gather herself, as the crowd applauded and encouraged her to continue.
Eugenie Bouchard brought an end to her professional tennis career at the National Bank Open
Bouchard, 31, addressed the crowd but was quickly overcome with emotion on Wednesday
Bouchard was dumped out of the competition by Belinda Bencic after a 6-2, 3-6, 6-4 loss
She then said: ‘I want to thank my mom, dad, sisters, & brother for their sacrifice and support. I want you to know when this crowd cheers for me, they’re cheering for you too. I wouldn’t be here without you.
‘Also to all the coaches, physios, trainers, everyone I’ve worked with. You all know who you are. Because of your hard work I was able to live out my dreams, thank you!’
Ahead of the tournament, Bouchard had posted on X: ‘You’ll know when it’s time. For me, it’s now. Ending where it all started: Montreal’.
Bouchard reached No. 5 in the WTA rankings and in 2014 won her lone singles title. She lost to Petra Kvitova in the Wimbledon final after also reaching the semifinals that year at the Australian Open and French Open.
She got back to the quarterfinals in Australia in 2015, but her career was never the same after she slipped on a wet locker room floor at the U.S. Open later that year and suffered a concussion that forced her to withdraw before her fourth-round match.
She sued the US Tennis Association and a jury found that the organization was 75 percent at fault and she was 25 percent to blame.
Bouchard helped Canada win its lone Billie Jean King Cup title in 2023 but has mostly switched to pickleball, playing just one match on tour prior to the National Bank Open.
‘She has been one of the most important figures in the history of our sport in Canada and a trailblazer who redefined what Canadian tennis could be,’ said Valerie Tetreault, the National Bank Open tournament director.
‘We are proud of everything she has done, as a player and role model, and we can’t wait to see her in action one last time at IGA Stadium this summer.’
Bouchard burst onto the scene after making the 2014 Wimbledon final
She made the top 10 of Forbes’ World’s Highest-Paid Female Athletes list in 2017 and 2018
Bouchard burst onto the scene thanks to her 2014 final appearance at SW19, which she ultimately lost to Petra Kvitova.
That year, she would also record her tournament best finishes at each of the Australian Open (semi-final), French Open (semi-final) and US Open (fourth round), at one point reaching No 5 in the world.
However she would never reach the same heights again, dropping away and proceeding to encounter more than her fair share of injury problems throughout her career.
And as she plummeted down the world rankings, Bouchard began to pursue more high-profile endeavors away from the court.
She made the top 10 of Forbes’ World’s Highest-Paid Female Athletes list in 2017 and 2018.
However, in a 2024 interview with The Times, she opened up on the ‘hate’ she received for her activity on social media, having been part of a number of sponsorship campaigns and attended her fair share of A-list events during her career.
