Eugenie Bouchard Grabs Pickleball: Eugenie Bouchard discusses her future in tennis following her absence from Wimbledon. In 2023, she returned to the All England Club for the first time since 2019 but didn’t advance past the qualifiers, and this year, she opted out entirely, currently holding the world No. 524 ranking.
This year, Bouchard competed in just one professional event, an ITF tournament in the USA in May, where she reached the quarterfinals after two consecutive wins but withdrew during her match against Kayla Day and has since not participated in any professional tournaments.
Tennis to Pickleball
Transitioning from tennis to pickleball, the former Wimbledon runner-up endured a shoulder injury in 2021 that sidelined her from tennis for 17 months. During this time, she has demonstrated a growing fascination with the popularity of pickleball, resulting in her participation in the Professional Pickleball Association Tour starting September 2023.
Following a shoulder injury in 2021 that sidelined her from tennis for 17 months, the former Wimbledon finalist has increasingly turned her attention to the burgeoning sport of pickleball, joining the Professional Pickleball Association Tour in September 2023. In a YouTube interview with Valeria Lipovetsky, Bouchard reflected on her dual sporting commitments:
“That’s a very good question. I would say that changed this year because I have to invest some of my time playing the pickleball events as well. So training in the gym for both, I would say, is similar but obviously on the court it’s different. So if I’m starting to give some time to pickle, it’s taking time away from tennis.”
“I would say this is an exploratory year to see how I love either one, how I love both, how I’m able to manage doing both. I don’t know. I think it’s more of an experimental year and we’ll see how it goes. This is brand-new for me so I don’t know for sure yet is my answer. I totally shifted this year and it’s only been three months, four months. I have no idea yet, I’m testing it out, we’ll see.”
“I would say that changed this year because I have to invest some of my time playing the pickleball events as well. So training in the gym for both, I would say, is similar but obviously on the court it’s different” -(Eugenie Bouchard)
“[The injury] made me do more off-court stuff,” Bouchard added. “I went to do some commentating for the Tennis Channel, found out I really loved that and was told I was good at it so that’s something I would love to continue exploring. That’s something I can do after tennis.”
In Beginning Bouchard admitted feeling nervous about playing pickleball, a sport she described as wildly different from tennis. Adjusting to the shorter paddle compared to a tennis racket posed a significant challenge. Despite initial difficulties, Bouchard noted incremental improvement with each game, learning valuable tips from fellow players in the absence of formal coaching, given the sport’s relative newness.
News in Brief: Eugenie Bouchard Grabs Pickleball
Eugenie Bouchard, a former Wimbledon finalist, faced setbacks in tennis, notably missing Wimbledon and dropping to world No. 524. She competed minimally in 2023, reaching an ITF quarterfinal but withdrawing due to injury. Transitioning to pickleball after a 17-month tennis hiatus due to a shoulder injury, Bouchard joined the Professional Pickleball Association Tour in 2023.
In an interview, she discussed balancing pickleball and tennis training, describing it as an experimental phase. Despite challenges adjusting from tennis to pickleball, she found encouragement in incremental progress and community support. Bouchard also explored off-court interests like commentating for the Tennis Channel.
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