The Professional Pickleball Association (PPA) Tour has announced that former Top 5 WTA player Eugenie Bouchard will transition from tennis to professional pickleball.
“One Of The Biggest Signings Of The Year”
Bouchard is set to make her debut in the pro pickleball circuit in the upcoming 2024 season. Despite reaching the ladies singles final at Wimbledon in 2014, she was handed a decisive defeat by Petra Kvitova, 6-3, 6-0.
The PPA has labeled this move “one of the biggest signings of the year.” The impact on Bouchard’s tennis career remains uncertain, as she has not yet commented on the transition.
Currently ranked No. 215, her most recent attempt to qualify for the main draw of the US Open ended in the second round of qualifying. Her last Grand Slam main draw appearance was at the 2020 French Open.
Pinnacle Of Her Career
The pinnacle of Bouchard’s career was in 2014, when, apart from her Wimbledon final appearance, she secured her sole WTA title at the Nuremberg Cup. She also achieved a career-high ranking of No. 5 and reached the semifinals or better in three out of the four Grand Slams.
Since then, she reached four more WTA finals, but her career has been marked by persistent struggles with form, losing streaks, and a series of injuries, including a surgical procedure on her right shoulder.
Reclaiming Her Position
Reclaiming her position at the top of tennis has been a formidable challenge following these setbacks, and it appears she may have relinquished her aspirations of a comeback. Bouchard was once anticipated to be one of the premier figures in women’s tennis, achieving notable success both on and off the court.
Her semi-final appearances at the Australian Open and French Open in 2014, along with reaching the fourth round at the US Open in 2014 and 2015, sparked a significant surge of interest in the Canadian star.
Her early career saw her garner numerous major sponsors due to her marketability. However, in recent years, she has grappled with fitness issues. Despite being the Wimbledon Junior champion in 2012, her ranking has slipped to a point where she has opted to join the increasingly popular pickleball world tour next year.
Announcement Via PPA Social Media
The announcement was made via PPA social media, hailing Bouchard as 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!”
With one of the biggest signings of the year ✍️ @geniebouchard, professional tennis star with a WTA #5 career high in singles, joins the PPA Tour in 2024! 👏 pic.twitter.com/7lSNCDkQfT
— Carvana PPA Tour (@PPAtour) September 7, 2023
At 29 years of age, Bouchard’s transition will undoubtedly be felt in the world of tennis, even though her recent performances on the WTA Tour have not been standout.
She fell short of making this year’s US Open and faced difficulties in qualifying for most of the events she participated in this year.
A Substantial Social Media Following
Despite her on-court challenges, she maintains a substantial social media following, boasting over 2.4 million followers on Instagram.
Although the statement confirming her move to pickleball indicated a full-time commitment, Bouchard has not yet clarified whether she will also continue to compete in tennis next year.
While she has refrained from making any official statements about this sporting shift, she did share the pickleball announcement on her social media platforms when the deal was announced.
