Photo credit: GSE Worldwide
Genie Bouchard is returning to her birthplace to close the curtain on her tennis career.
The 31-year-old Bouchard, who was born in Montreal, will play her final professional tournament at the National Bank Open in Montreal later this month.
Bouchard made history as the first Canadian to reach a Grand Slam singles final at the 2014 Wimbledon where she lost to Petra Kvitova.
In a spectacular 2014 season, Bouchard also reaches semifinals at the Australian Open and Roland Garros. In Melbourne, Bouchard’s success inspired a slew of fans, the self-proclaimed “Genie Army” to support her throughout her matches. Bouchard won her lone Tour-level singles title at the 2014 Nurnberg and reached a career-high ranking of No. 5 on October 20, 2014.
“You’ll know when it’s time. For me, it’s now,” Bouchard wrote in an Instagram post announcing her retirement. “Ending where it all started: Montreal.”
A series of injuries issues and her lawsuit against the USTA following a fall in the locker room of the US Open derailed Bouchard’s career.
The 2012 Wimbledon girls’ champion has been active on the pickleball circuit in recent years and has done some commentary for Tennis Channel. Bouchard has recently been training with coach Noah Rubin for her farewell tournament.
A long-time member of the Canadian Billie Jean King Cup squad, Bouchard represented Canada in the 2016 Olympic Games.
Currently ranked No. 1078, Bouchard will play Montreal on a wild card. She’s scheduled to play on either Sunday, July 27th or Monday, July 28th, depending on the outcome of the official draw which will be held on Saturday, July 26, at 11 a.m.
“Few athletes have left as profound a mark on Canadian tennis as Genie [Bouchard] has throughout her extraordinary career,” said Gavin Ziv, Chief Executive Officer, Tennis Canada. “As one of the very first players to ever be part of the National Tennis Centre presented by Rogers in Montreal, she achieved things that many thought would be impossible for Canadian players.
“Her career highlights, which include a Wimbledon final appearance and a Billie Jean King Cup championship, are nothing short of extraordinary and were a true catalyst for the development of tennis in our country. She’s been and still is an incredible ambassador for our sport and, on behalf of Tennis Canada, I want to thank her for everything she’s done. We wish her continued success in the next chapter of her career.”