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The Independent
6 days ago
- Sport
- The Independent
Former Wimbledon finalist Genie Bouchard to retire from tennis at 31
Genie Bouchard says she will bring the curtain down on her career at her home tournament in Montreal later this month. The 31-year-old Canadian, best known for making the 2014 final at Wimbledon, announced her decision on Instagram, saying: 'You'll know when it's time. For me, it's now. Ending where it all started: Montreal.' Bouchard won the girls' singles title at Wimbledon in 2012. Two years later, she enjoyed a fantastic ladies' singles tournament, winning all her matches before the final in straight sets, including her semi-final against Simona Halep. She then lost to Petra Kvitova in straight sets in the final. That remained her only final appearance in a Grand Slam, though she did reach the semi-finals of both the Australian Open and French Open. She also achieved a career-high world ranking of No 5. From the highs of 2014, she slipped and fell in the locker room floor at the 2015 US Open, suffering a concussion that meant she had to withdraw from her fourth round match. As a result, she sued the US Tennis Association, which later settled with her after a jury found the governing body 'most liable'. She was also part of Canada's first Billie Jean Cup title success in 2023. A social media post by Tennis Canada read: 'Genie's Last Dance. Eugenie Bouchard will retire from professional tennis following the National Bank Open, bringing to a close a historic and unforgettable journey. Thank you, Genie, for breaking barriers, inspiring countless Canadians, and showing us how big dreams can be. We'll never forget the joy you brought to the court.' Meanwhile, the world No 1, Aryna Sabalenka, has decided to miss the tournament due to fatigue. In recent months, the Belarusian has made the semi-finals in both Berlin and at Wimbledon, while she also lost to Coco Gauff in the French Open final. In a Tennis Canada press release, she said: 'I'm looking forward to kicking off the North American hard-court swing, but to give myself the best chance for success this season, I've decided it's in my best interest to skip Montreal. "I'll miss my amazing Canadian fans, but I'm already looking forward to seeing you all next year. Thanks for your understanding and support it means the world to me!"
News.com.au
6 days ago
- Sport
- News.com.au
Tennis heart-throb Eugenie Bouchard retires just weeks after shock return to tennis
Former Wimbledon finalist Eugenie Bouchard has announced her retirement from tennis aged 31 – just weeks after making a shock return to the sport, The Sun reports. The Canadian ace was once tipped to become a global star after reaching the final of Wimbledon in 2014. Bouchard was just 20 years old at the time when she came up against former champ Petra Kvitova. There was heartbreak for Bouchard as she lost 6-3 6-0 to the Czech. But despite reaching the semis of the Australian and French Opens in the same year, Bouchard never made another final. Instead, her career took a downward turn. Bouchard, who was ranked No5 in the world in 2014, slipped to No48 just a year later. And as injuries took their toll, she gradually faded from the women's game entirely. Despite raking in a fortune with modelling work, Bouchard eventually turned to the trendy sport of pickleball. But she left fans stunned when she revealed plans to play tennis' Hall of Fame Open this month. Bouchard was defeated early on in the Round of 32, losing 7-6 5-2 to Anna Rogers. And now, the Canadian has declared she is finally hanging up her racket and balls for good. Bouchard said alongside a throwback picture on social media: 'You'll know when it's time. 'For me, it's now. Ending where it all started. Montreal.' Fans will still get to see Bouchard one last time when she takes part at the 2025 Canadian Open later this month. Gavin Ziv, CEO of Tennis Canada, said: 'Few athletes have left as profound a mark on Canadian tennis as Genie [Bouchard] has throughout her extraordinary career. 'As one of the very first players to ever be part of the National Tennis Centre presented by Rogers in Montreal, she achieved things that many thought would be impossible for Canadian players. 'Her career highlights, which include a Wimbledon final appearance and a Billie Jean King Cup championship, are nothing short of extraordinary and were a true catalyst for the development of tennis in our country. 'She's been and still is an incredible ambassador for our sport and, on behalf of Tennis Canada, I want to thank her for everything she's done. We wish her continued success in the next chapter of her career.'
Daily Mail
7 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Mail
BREAKING NEWS Wimbledon finalist and tennis glamour girl Eugenie Bouchard announces shock retirement at age of 31
Glamorous tennis star Eugenie Bouchard is officially set to bring the curtain down on her on-court career at the age of just 31. Bouchard shot to fame after making the Wimbledon final in 2014 - the first Canadian-born Canadian to do so. However, after struggling with form and injuries in recent years, the Canadian has confirmed she is set to retire - and on home turf no less. Bouchard will play in the National Bank Open in Montreal later this month before ending her career, Tennis Canada said Wednesday. The organization said Bouchard would be given a wild card into the tournament in her hometown. 'You'll know when it's time. For me, it's now,' Bouchard posted on social media, along with pictures of herself playing throughout the years. '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 this season. She has a career singles record of 299-230. '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 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. She made the top 10 of Forbes' World's Highest-Paid Female Athletes list in 2017 and 2018 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. 'Back in the day, I could train six hours during the day before later posting on social media about being at the movies and I would get hate,' she said. 'It was like, well, social media isn't an exact representation of my day. 'It's great that the world has changed over the past ten years and now not only is it acceptable to do off-court things, it's actually encouraged. Back in the day, I felt like I was being shoved into a box, like you can't do anything besides tennis. I was like, tennis has given me opportunities to explore the fashion world, TV and all these other things. Why would I say no? We're talking about my life in its entirety here. 'I would get so much hate for doing anything other than tennis. It was a burden I would bear on my shoulders and it was really hard. At least it's more accepted now. Not that I was the only pioneer to do these things but I feel like I made it a little bit more normal.' The National Bank Open is set to begin on July 26.
The Sun
7 days ago
- Sport
- The Sun
Former Wimbledon finalist announces retirement at 31 with emotional 15-word post just weeks after shock return to tennis
FORMER Wimbledon finalist Eugenie Bouchard has announced her retirement from tennis aged 31 – just weeks after making a shock return to the sport. The Canadian ace was once tipped to become a global star after reaching the final of Wimbledon in 2014. 8 8 Bouchard was just 20 years old at the time when she came up against former champ Petra Kvitova. There was heartbreak for Bouchard as she lost 6-3 6-0 to the Czech. But despite reaching the semis of the Australian and French Opens in the same year, Bouchard never made another final. Instead, her career took a downward turn. Bouchard, who was ranked No5 in the world in 2014, slipped to No48 just a year later. And as injuries took their toll, she gradually faded from the women's game entirely. Despite raking in a fortune with modelling work, Bouchard eventually turned to the trendy sport of pickleball. But she left fans stunned when she revealed plans to play tennis' Hall of Fame Open this month. Bouchard was defeated early on in the Round of 32, losing 7-6 5-2 to Anna Rogers. And now, the Canadian has declared she is finally hanging up her racket and balls for good. Former Wimbledon star Eugenie Bouchard 'gets personal' as she dishes out vicious revenge after brutal hit in pickleball 8 8 8 8 Bouchard said alongside a throwback picture on social media: 'You'll know when it's time. 'For me, it's now. Ending where it all started. Montreal.' Fans will still get to see Bouchard one last time when she takes part at the 2025 Canadian Open later this month. Gavin Ziv, CEO of Tennis Canada, said: 'Few athletes have left as profound a mark on Canadian tennis as Genie [Bouchard] has throughout her extraordinary career. 'As one of the very first players to ever be part of the National Tennis Centre presented by Rogers in Montreal, she achieved things that many thought would be impossible for Canadian players. "Her career highlights, which include a Wimbledon final appearance and a Billie Jean King Cup championship, are nothing short of extraordinary and were a true catalyst for the development of tennis in our country. 'She's been and still is an incredible ambassador for our sport and, on behalf of Tennis Canada, I want to thank her for everything she's done. We wish her continued success in the next chapter of her career.'
National Post
7 days ago
- Sport
- National Post
Canadian tennis star Eugenie Bouchard to retire after hometown tournament
Canadian tennis player Eugenie Bouchard, who reached No. 5 in the WTA rankings in a breakout 2014 season, is retiring from tennis at this year's National Bank Open in Montreal. Article content Tennis Canada announced Bouchard's retirement at her hometown tournament in a release Wednesday and said she will receive a main-draw wild card into the WTA 1000 hardcourt tournament, which begins July 26. Article content Article content Article content Bouchard made it to the Wimbledon women's final in 2014, losing to Petra Kvitova in straight sets. She became the first Canadian woman in the open era to contest a Grand Slam singles final. She also reached the semifinals at the Australian Open and the French Open and qualified for the WTA Finals in 2014 en route to winning the tour's most improved player award. Her 2014 season also included her only WTA title at the clay-court Nuremberg Cup. Article content While injuries, including a concussion at the 2015 U.S. Open, and inconsistent form prevented he from reaching those heights on the WTA Tour again, she remained an important part of Canada's women's team. Article content The 31-year-old from Westmount, Que., represented Canada at the Olympic Games in 2016 and earned 13 match wins over 10 Billie Jean King Cup ties. She teamed with Gabriela Dabrowski in two group-stage doubles victories as part of Canada's first-ever BJK Cup title in 2023. Article content Article content You'll know when it's time. For me, it's now. Ending where it all started: Montreal ❤️ — Genie Bouchard (@geniebouchard) July 16, 2025 Article content Tennis Canada chief executive officer Gavin Ziv thanked Bouchard for her contributions to tennis in Canada. Article content Article content 'Few athletes have left as profound a mark on Canadian tennis as Genie has throughout her extraordinary career,' Ziv said in a release, adding her achievements early in her career were 'things that many thought would be impossible for Canadian players.' Article content 'Her career highlights, which include a Wimbledon final appearance and a Billie Jean King Cup championship, are nothing short of extraordinary and were a true catalyst for the development of tennis in our country,' he added. 'She's been and still is an incredible ambassador for our sport and, on behalf of Tennis Canada, I want to thank her for everything she's done.' Article content
