2014 Wimbledon finalist Eugenie Bouchard has made her return to the All England Club, but as a commentator rather than a player. Making her first appearance at SW19 since retiring from professional tennis last year, the Canadian has been struggling to cope with the intense heat wave sweeping across the UK, which coincides with the grass-court Major.
Why Eugenie Bouchard Is ‘Genuinely Curious’ About the UK Heat
Bouchard is set to make her BBC punditry debut at Wimbledon, joining a star-studded broadcast team that includes John McEnroe, Martina Navratilova, Andre Agassi, Billie Jean King, and Tracy Austin, among others. However, her first trip to London in her new role has been anything but comfortable, with parts of the UK having recently been under red weather warnings amid an intense heat wave.
Despite living in Miami Beach, Florida, and being well accustomed to hot weather, the 32-year-old opened up about her tough experience just a day after arriving in London.
“I know there’s been a lot of US / Europe AC discourse recently and some think we’ve probably talked about it enough – but I am here to tell you that we have NOT Been in the UK less than 24 hours and I feel like I’m on an episode of Survivor. I brushed my teeth last night while sweating profusely. Slept without any blankets. And I normally run cold! Genuinely curious as to what the reason for this is. Who can enlighten me 😆,” Bouchard wrote.
I know there’s been a lot of US / Europe AC discourse recently and some think we’ve probably talked about it enough – but I am here to tell you that we have NOT
Been in the UK less than 24 hours and I feel like I’m on an episode of Survivor
I brushed my teeth last night while…
— Genie Bouchard (@geniebouchard) June 28, 2026
Bouchard isn’t the only Florida resident to find Europe’s lack of widespread air conditioning challenging, as Coco Gauff addressed the same issue ahead of Wimbledon.
“Playing in it is not too bad because I’m from Florida, but just existing in it is rough because the A.C. is not in all places,” Gauff said during her interview with Dazed.
While Bouchard is not a fan of the heat, she has spoken enthusiastically about joining the BBC commentary team, saying, “I’m so excited to work for another network. To have another big network who wanted to work with me was just such an honour. I’m excited to meet the team and see how they work chat about tennis for a while with them. I’m just so excited.”
The Canadian also opened up to SunSport about her relaxed schedule for her commentary and social media duties.
“They’ve actually been very casual. Even with the schedule and plans, I’m like, ‘Okay, when do I start?’ They’re like, ‘Oh, could you start Monday?’ And I was like, ‘Sure!’ I think I’ll call a match a day and also probably do some videos and social stuff for them. So, very much looking forward to it,” she said.
Despite the brutal heat wave in the UK, Day 1 of the Wimbledon Championships on Monday offered players and commentators, including Eugenie Bouchard, welcome relief at SW19. Temperatures hovered around a comfortable 20°C (68°F) in the morning and were predicted to peak at just 24°C (75°F).
