- Canadian tennis star Eugenie Bouchard has had a rough patch with tennis
- The 2014 Wimbledon finalist has battled injuries in the recent past which affected her ranking
- She has now given up on tennis and she is focusing on pickleball starting 2024
Canadian tennis star Eugenie Bouchard has had a rough patch with tennis following a series of injuries and she is now getting into pickleball.
The 2014 Wimbledon finalist has battled injuries in the recent past but the downside of it is her career ranking slipped dramatically despite trying so hard.
She officially announced her intention to transition to the rapidly growing world of pickleball on the tour next year.
The official IBE Pickleball website made the announcement, with Bouchard being their most significant signing to date.
“With one of the biggest signings of the year @Genie Bouchard, professional tennis star with a WTA No 5 career high in singles, joins the PPA Tour in 2024!” read the statement.
Eugenie Bouchard. Photo/Sky Sports
While the statement confirming her move to pickleball implied a full-time commitment, Bouchard is yet to officially declare whether she will also continue her tennis career in the coming year.
However, she shared the pickleball announcement on her social media platform when the deal was initially revealed.
Bouchard was widely expected to become one of the brightest stars in women’s tennis after her finalist run in 2014 Wimbledon.
She had also reached the semi-finals at the Australian Open and the French Open this same year before making it to the fourth round at the US Open in 2015.
This outstanding performance generated immense interest in the Canadian sensation and her marketability shot to the sky.
She securing numerous major sponsorships during the early years of her career but her recent struggles with fitness have posed a threat to her tennis career.
As the junior Wimbledon champion in 2012, Bouchard has encountered difficulties in leaving a lasting impact on professional tennis, particularly after her ranking slipped.
Her surprise transition represents a setback for tennis, despite her recent struggles to make a mark on the WTA Tour. She faced disappointment by missing out on qualifying for this year’s US Open and encountered similar challenges in most of the events she participated in this year.
However, despite her on-court setbacks, Bouchard, 29, maintains a graceful social media following, boasting over 2.4 million followers on Instagram.
Pickleballs and paddles. Photo/Universal Tennis Blog
Pickleball is similar to tennis in so many ways but still has its differences in execution and style of play. But, there is a lot of tennis in this fast-developing sport in the US and beyond.
It’s an inclusive sport which has both the young and the old playing this sport. You play with a paddle and not a racket.
In addition, you play with a plastic Wiffle-like ball that is less bouncy and doesn’t fly through the air like a tennis ball.
Also the paddle is lighter and shorter than a tennis racket, making it considerably easier to manage. In pickleball, you also serve underhand, and underhand serves are simpler to hit and return.
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