Eugenie Bouchard recently came to the defence of her idol, Anna Kournikova. She expressed that the former world No. 8 did not deserve the criticism and “hate” she received for being a “marketable and famous” player.
Kournikova turned professional in 1995 and quickly gained immense popularity on the WTA circuit. She was named one of PEOPLE magazine’s 50 Most Beautiful People and also graced the covers of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. Even after retiring from the sport, she remained the most searched athlete on the Internet until 2008.
Eugenie Bouchard Shares Thoughts on Anna Kournikova Getting Hate During Her Career for Being ‘Marketable’
During her career, Kournikova won two Grand Slam titles in doubles: the Australian Open in 1999 and 2002, alongside Martina Hingis. She also achieved the world No. 1 ranking in doubles, among other accomplishments. Kournikova retired from professional tennis in 2003 due to chronic back injuries and spinal problems.
In a recent episode of “The Kitchen Pickleball” podcast, Bouchard referred to Kournikova as her “first idol.” She stated that Kournikova did not deserve the “hate” she received from those who believed the player’s massive popularity off the court negatively affected her performance.
“She was my first idol. I say this to people I wanted to be just like her. I thought she was so cool, good, and pretty, and I wanted to use the exact racket. My parents bought me Yonex rackets because that’s what she used, and people give her so much hate, and I’m like, you get to eight in the world in your field and then come back and talk to me,” Bouchard said.
The world No. 5 listed Kournikova’s numerous achievements on the court and stated that the negative attention she received was primarily due to her marketability and fame. She credited Kournikova for bringing tennis to the radar of so many people.
“She got to eight in the world in singles, semis of Wimbledon, multiple Slams in doubles with Martina Hingis, but because she had this whole other side to her, you know, she was so marketable and famous, like the most Googled person or Yahoo-Googled person whenever the internet came out. She put tennis on the map for so many people, and people focus on that and give her so much hate, and I’m like, literally, her biggest offender,” she continued.
The Canadian recalled meeting Kournikova at Junior Wimbledon. She also expressed her desire to talk to Kournikova, as she believes they both faced similar criticisms during their playing careers. She mentioned that Kournikova, who inspired many people to take up tennis, including herself, did not deserve the “hate” she received.
“I met her once, very quickly, at like Junior Wimbledon years ago, but I actually really would love to meet her and talk to her about her experiences because I feel like I went through some similar things as well later on. She inspired me to play tennis. How is that a negative? Me and countless others. She doesn’t deserve the hate,” Bouchard added.
Meanwhile, Bouchard, who turned professional in 2009, retired from the sport after competing in the 2025 Canadian Open. Despite retiring from professional tennis, Bouchard remains active in pickleball, making her professional pickleball debut in January 2024 by joining the Professional Pickleball Association (PPA) Tour.
