MONTREAL, July 31: Genie Bouchard didn’t look like a player limping into retirement.
You’d be forgiven for thinking she was still in her prime.
On center court in her hometown, Bouchard delivered a thrilling performance – and a heartfelt goodbye to tennis – with a hard-fought loss in her final match Wednesday night.
“I’ve always had a feeling I would end my career here,” Bouchard said.
“Montreal is where I was born and raised, so it just feels right. An emotional moment. I think I just wanted a moment like this because my career deserved a moment like this.
The 31-year-old bowed out 6-2, 3-6, 6-4 in the National Bank Open’s second round against 17th seed Belinda Bencic of Switzerland but electrified the crowd against a top-tier opponent – showing flashes of the assertive game that once powered her rise to world No. 5 in 2014.
So is she sure about retiring?
Bouchard had extended her Montreal run with a throwback first-round upset Monday night against Emiliana Arango, her first WTA Tour victory since 2023.
The local favorite turned back the clock again Wednesday by rallying from down a set, but Bencic held on to win the match in two hours, 16 minutes.
Fans packing the stands at IGA Stadium chanted “Let’s Go Genie!” and grew louder throughout the night, standing for several ovations.
Bouchard returned the favor with an emotional, teary-eyed speech during an on-court ceremony.
After a difficult first set, Bouchard bounced back to win the second and went up a break early in the third, winning a back-and-forth third game when Bencic’s shot dipped into the net on the Canadian’s fifth breakpoint opportunity.
Bencic regrouped and broke back to tie at 3-3 as Bouchard sprayed shots wide and long. Trailing 5-4 and needing to hold serve, Bouchard fell in a 40-love hole and sent her backhand wide while defending the second match point, ending her upset bid.
nstead, it marks the end of a roller-coaster career.
Bouchard peaked during the 2014 season, winning her only WTA singles title, reaching the Australian Open and French Open semis and becoming the first Canadian to play in a Grand Slam singles final at Wimbledon.
But Bouchard’s rapid rise at 20 also quickly came falling down after her 6-3, 6-0 loss to Petra Kvitova at the All England Club.
Her highly anticipated homecoming one month later ended abruptly with a 6-0, 2-6, 6-0 loss against American qualifier Shelby Rogers at the then-called Rogers Cup. And the following year, Bouchard crashed out of the French Open and Wimbledon first rounds as losing streaks piled up.
A run to the U.S. Open fourth round hinted at a return to form, until Bouchard suffered a concussion from slipping in the locker room – for which she later filed a lawsuit – forcing her to withdraw from the tournament.
In recent years, Bouchard has sporadically played on the pro tennis circuit, spending more time on the PPA Pickleball Tour, where she ranks 12th in singles.As for what’s next, Bouchard says she looks forward to sleeping in, going on vacation and reflecting on what she wants to do with the rest of her life. (AP)
