The world of professional tennis witnessed another chapter close as Eugenie Bouchard made a retirement announcement. The 31-year-old, who burst onto the international scene over a decade ago, took to social media to share her decision with fans worldwide.
Eugenie Bouchard’s Retirement Announcement and Professional Tennis Career
The announcement came through a simple Instagram post, marking the end of a journey that began in her hometown courts. She wrote, “You’ll know when it’s time. For me, it’s now. Ending where it all started: Montreal ❤️”
The timing is special, as it coincides with the upcoming tennis season in Canada. Having made her mark on courts around the globe, Bouchard has chosen to bring her professional tennis career full circle.
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Bouchard’s professional tennis career reached its pinnacle during the 2014 season, when she achieved what no Canadian had done before. Her breakthrough year began with a semifinal appearance at the Australian Open, where she defeated former world number one Ana Ivanović before falling to eventual champion Li Na. This success put her into the top 20 for the first time.
The clay-court season brought her first WTA singles title at the Nuremberg Cup in May 2014, defeating Karolína Plíšková in the final. This victory served as perfect preparation for her run at the French Open, where she reached the semifinals before losing to eventual champion Maria Sharapova.
Her most memorable achievement came at Wimbledon 2014, where she became the first Canadian-born player to reach a Grand Slam singles final. After defeating third seed Simona Halep in the semifinals, she faced Petra Kvitova in the final, eventually losing 6-3, 6-0.
These accomplishments helped her reach a career-high ranking of world number five in October 2014, making her the first Canadian tennis player to be ranked in the top five in singles. She was named the WTA’s Most Improved Player for 2014 and earned Tennis Canada’s Female Player of the Year award for three consecutive years from 2013 to 2015.
Bouchard’s Recent Years and New Sporting Ventures
In 2024, Bouchard joined the Professional Pickleball Association (PPA) Tour, where she has made significant strides in a relatively short time. Her transition to pickleball has been marked by steady improvement, rising to number 17 in the pickleball rankings.
Her involvement in pickleball has not meant a complete departure from tennis as she received a wildcard entry to compete at the 2025 Hall of Fame Open in Newport, Rhode Island, marking one of her recent returns to professional tennis competition.
At the Hall of Fame Open, Bouchard competed in the women’s singles draw, where she was eliminated in the first round. She also partnered with Olivia Lincer in the doubles competition, demonstrating her continued commitment to competitive tennis even while pursuing pickleball.
Bouchard’s recent tennis appearances have been less frequent, with her WTA ranking dropping to around 1100. Despite this decline from her peak years, she has maintained that she had not officially retired from tennis, keeping the door open for selective tournament appearances.
