Eugenie Bouchard breaks down how quickly Coco Gauff could take over pickleball, and why the path is not the same in singles and doubles. In a candid assessment, Bouchard said Gauff’s athletic profile would allow her to overwhelm the singles game in short order, while doubles would pose a steeper climb.
Eugenie Bouchard Assesses How Coco Gauff’s Tennis Game Translates to Pickleball
The conversation resonated because pickleball continues to attract crossover curiosity from tennis fans, especially when it involves a star of Gauff’s stature. Bouchard, now competing full-time in pickleball after stepping away from professional tennis, offered a perspective shaped by experience on both sides.
Speaking on the Kitchen Pickleball podcast, Bouchard responded to a direct question about timelines with striking clarity. Asked, “How long does it take Coco Goff to become a top five pickle ball singles player and a top five pickle ball doubles player? She starts today.”
Bouchard said, “She’s so athletic. She would kill the the singles game pretty quickly. I think all tennis players naturally feel pretty good on the singles court, but she does really well in doubles as well. And it’s something like Jack Socks had, you know, he was really good in doubles. And so I think that helps the doubles in pickleball and I was less of a doubles player, which shows in my struggles in doubles in pickle ball.”
Pressed further on timing, she added, “Like eight months.” When the focus narrowed specifically to doubles, her tone shifted. “I think that’s harder. I don’t know if she would get to top five.”
After nearly 17 years on tour, Bouchard stepped away from professional tennis earlier this year, closing a career defined by her run to the Wimbledon final (2014) and her status as one of the most recognizable figures in Canadian women’s tennis.
Her transition out of competition began after the 2025 Canadian Open in Montreal, where she recorded a first-round victory over Emiliana Arango before falling to Belinda Bencic in the next round. That tournament marked the conclusion of a short 2025 campaign, which also featured appearances at the Hall of Fame Open and the Citi Open in Washington, D.C.
Earlier, in January 2024, Bouchard entered the professional pickleball scene, making her debut on the Professional Pickleball Association (PPA) Tour. As per current PPA rankings, she sits at No. 9 in women’s singles and No. 47 in women’s doubles.
