More than a decade after what proved to be a fluke Wimbledon final, tennis refugee Genie Bouchard may be giving her former sport another go this summer.
The Canadian who for a time made a name on social media while climbing the WTA ranks to reach fifth in the rankings.
Her highlight moment came in the 2014 Wimbledon final where she won three games against Petra Kvitova.
The 31-year-old played her last tennis match in 2023 and last hit the courts in a first-round qualifying loss last August in Toronto.
She then failed to qualify in August for the US Open and switched to the hybrid racquet sport of pickleball.
But in a sudden change of heart, the Florida-based athlete will take a wild card entry into a minor 125-level WTA event on the grass at Newport, Rhode Island in the US, to be staged in early July during Wimbledon.
A WTA tournament statement read: “Eugenie Bouchard is returning to tennis at the Hall of Fame Open!
“With a career highlighted by a Wimbledon final, multiple WTA titles and a global fanbase, Genie’s return promises exciting matches and unforgettable moments.”
The Canadian has warned that any possible return to tennis will have to fit in with what appears to be a growing pickleball schedule, a sport where she currently ranks 12th in the world.
Main photo:- Eugenie Bouchard has 2.4 million followers on Instagram – by Roger Parker ISF Ltd.
