Eugénie Bouchard recalled how at the height of her career in 2014, she was bombarded with negativity on social media, which affected her confidence and her play.
The Canadian tennis star reached the Wimbledon final at age 20 in 2014, reached a career-high ranking of No. 5 in the world and has since combined fame with social media stardom.
However, Bouchard, who is a social media staple with bikini photos and fashion posts, has recently The Times interview At the same time, she was also battling online hate.
“In the past, I would get harassed if I posted on social media that I’d worked out for six hours during the day and then gone to the movies,” Bouchard said. “I felt like social media wasn’t an accurate reflection of my day.
“It’s amazing how the world has changed in the last 10 years. Now off-court activity is not only accepted but encouraged. Before, I felt like I was forced into a box where I couldn’t do anything other than tennis. Tennis has given me the opportunity to explore the fashion world, TV and so much more. Why would I say no? I’m telling my whole life story here.”
“If I did anything other than tennis, I would get frowned upon. It was a huge weight on my shoulders and it was really hard. At least now it’s more accepted. I wasn’t the only pioneer doing this, but it feels a little more normalized.”
Bouchard has faced some criticism for her social media posts about her life outside of sport.
The athlete attended red carpet events and Hollywood parties that some felt were inconsequential given the demands of the sport.
A hectic 2014 for Bouchard included ending her working relationship with coach Nick Saviano after eight years, a move she still regrets.
“There’s no blueprint for how to deal with a major life change like the one I experienced in 2014,” Bouchard said. “There’s no way to really prepare me, or the people around me.”
“Of course, looking back, I have some regrets. I would not have stopped working with my coach then. Looking back, I wish I had kept him for stability, because I had already been through a lot. Why change such an important person on the team? He was a great coach and I think he helped me continue to develop.”
“Plus, I wouldn’t have taken things so personally and let the hate so easily absorbed into my brain. Brainwashing works, and when you start hearing negative things about yourself over and over again, it’s hard not to believe it. I just wish I’d been able to forget about it more and not let it affect my confidence, because it completely affected the way I thought about myself. It affected my play.”
Currently ranked 524th in the world, Bouchard has only played one tier three tournament this season.
Since then, the blonde beauty has made pickleball her priority, she told the Times.
“It just seemed like a really unique opportunity and I’m excited to be a part of something that’s growing so quickly and is so popular right now,” Bouchard said. “It’s also a challenge to myself. I’ve been playing tennis for 25 years and I think trying something new will be exciting for my brain.”
While tennis’ biggest stars were preparing for the championships, which run through Sunday, July 14, Bouchard was playing pickleball in a Professional Pickleball Association (PPA) event.
Bouchard said she started playing pickleball after failing to qualify for last year’s U.S. Open.
But she has no plans to retire from tennis just yet.
Bouchard, whose career has been stalled by injuries including shoulder surgery in 2021, said she plans to return to tennis in early August.
“I’m going to fit tennis tournaments into my schedule wherever it fits,” she said. “Tennis is my favorite sport and I want to continue playing it. Pickleball will be my top priority, but I’d like to fit tennis tournaments into my schedule.”
“I want to do everything I can,” Bouchard added. “I have to understand that I’m not playing tennis full time so of course there are limitations. I want to do the best I can in each tournament and see where it goes. But I love tennis and I don’t want to give up on it just yet.”
Bouchard posted a photo of herself on a tennis court in Miami to her Instagram account on Thursday with the caption, “Welcome home.”
