After trading her tennis racquet for a paddle, Eugenie Bouchard recently celebrated her first two victories in pickleball.
In September 2023, it was announced that Bouchard would be joining the pickleball tour in 2024 as one of the biggest signings of the year.
She made her debut in the pickleball world at the PPA Masters Event in Palm Springs, California. Unfortunately, her first experience in the sport did not go as planned, as she faced defeats in all her singles, doubles, and mixed doubles matches.
The Canadian achieved her first victory in pickleball since starting her debut in January. She was awarded the win due to her opponent’s withdrawal. Interestingly, her inaugural win was against Dominique Schaefer, a former tennis player for Peru in the Fed Cup who has been playing pickleball professionally since 2023.
“My first pickleball win!!! (by walkover),”Bouchard wrote.
The Canadian player, alongside her partner Eric Roddy, achieved her first official victory in mixed doubles by defeating Michelle Esquivel and Steve Deakin. Deakin, a former tennis player, has also been the winner of 11 Canadian National Titles.
In addition, Bouchard shared her thoughts about this victory on Instagram, saying:
“First real W!!!!!!!! LFG!!!”
Bouchard’s most recent appearance in professional tennis was in November 2023 at the Billie Jean King Cup.
The 2014 Wimbledon finalist joined forces with Gabriela Dabrowski for two matches in the group stage of the finals, securing victories in both and aiding Canada’s progression to the knockout stages. Despite her contributions, she did not participate in the remainder of the tournament as Canada triumphed over Italy 2-0 in the final.
Eugenie Bouchard’s Pickleball Debut
After her debut in January 2024, Eugenie Bouchard revealed to PPA writer Andrew Gilman that she was still getting used to the game’s settings and often forgot “which side of the court to line up on”. Despite this, the Canadian stated that she did not have high expectations for her first match and simply wanted to enjoy playing.
“zero expectations. I just want to have fun,” Bouchard said.
Nevertheless, she acknowledged feeling nervous and stressed prior to her debut.
“Tennis I’ve done since I was 5 years old. “This was so different and new. It was the fear of the unknown. I had months of practice, but I didn’t know what to expect. It was nerve-wracking. I wasn’t moving my feet, I wasn’t bending. I wasn’t hitting. I think that’s due to nerves,” she said.
Currently, Eugenie Bouchard holds the 302nd spot in the WTA singles rankings.
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