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When Genie Bouchard stepped onto the court in West Vancouver Sunday, it was her first competitive tennis match in nearly a year and a half.
It was only a doubles match, which she and her partner Kayla Cross won, but the comeback has begun. And it will continue on Tuesday when the 28-year-old Canadian plays her first singles match at the now completely sold-out Odlum Brown VanOpen at the Hollyburn Country Club.
In her first match in 17 months coming back from an injury, @geniebouchard đ¨đŚ partners with Kayla Cross đ¨đŚ to win in the first round of women’s doubles at the @Odlum_Brown #VanOpen!#vanopentennis #WTA #WTA125 pic.twitter.com/sZgH00HCtp
â Odlum Brown VanOpen (@vanopentennis) August 15, 2022
Bouchard is returning from the most serious injury of her career, a right-shoulder ailment that required arthroscopic surgery. Sundayâs match was the first for her since March 2021, and she felt it.
âI started feeling tight in my body, my muscles were already getting sore. I was like âwow, I havenât played a match in a while.’â Bouchard said.
âI was exhausted yesterday.â
With that being said, Bouchard did say she played better than she expected, and that match play is what she needs to get better.
The Montreal native is calling this âphase twoâ of her career, and appears to be savouring every moment she has left as a tennis pro. She doesnât know how long her career will last, but the past 17 months solidified in her mind that the tennis court is where she wants to be.
âEvery time I get on the court, I definitely appreciate it more. I just love the feeling of hitting a tennis ball. I love the competition. Those are the two things I love about tennis the most, and thatâs why Iâm still here.â
Lowered expectations
At this stage of her career, not a lot is expected of Bouchard anymore.
When asked by Daily Hive if she now considers herself an underdog, Bouchard agreed.
âExpectations are really low,â Bouchard said bluntly. âExpectations are on the floor, you guys.â
Bouchard added that sheâs still setting a high bar for herself, but admitted she doesnât really know what to expect.
âIâve never had to come back from surgery before. Iâve never had such a big injury. For me, weâre at ground zero.â
Feeling the love after dealing with social media hate
Bouchard certainly has been through a lot in her tennis career.
After bursting onto the scene at age 19, she has never been able to replicate her sensational 2014 season, which saw her reach the final at Wimbledon, the semis at the Australian Open and French Open, and the Round of 16 at the US Open.
She reached a career-high World No. 5 ranking that year, and appeared to be destined for stardom.
Bouchard hasnât been the same since suffering a concussion at the US Open in 2015, struggling on the court while her celebrity grew off it.
Still one of the most recognizable names in her sport, Bouchard has more than 2.3 million followers on Instagram. No current top 10 player on the WTA Tour comes close to that number.
That number means Bouchard has a lot of fans, but with it comes a lot of haters too.
âIâve experienced all ends of the spectrum,â Bouchard said of the reaction from fans on social media. âI experienced the love when I first started out. Then when I didnât have the same results, I experienced extreme hate. I think since Iâve been out a little bit, I feel like Iâve actually gotten more love. I think fans actually appreciate you when youâre gone, in a sense⌠I feel like Iâm in more of a love phase right now, recently, which is nice.â
Some of Bouchardâs haters have used her off-court popularity against her, arguing that she lost focus as a tennis player. But the fact of the matter is Bouchard isnât the first tennis player to peak early and she wonât be the last. Sheâs also not the only tennis player active on social media.
So sheâs not apologetic about modelling for Sports Illustrated or lucrative endorsement deals she secured, even as her ranking fell. Bouchard was the ninth highest-paid female athlete in the world in 2017, according to Forbes. Forbes reported that Bouchard earned $6.5 million in endorsements that year, which dwarfed the $600,000 she made playing tennis.
Would Genie have liked to have more on-court success? Of course. But sheâs appreciative for everything else as well.
âIâve just been very grateful for the opportunities that tennis has provided me. Itâs opened a lot of doors into other aspects of things Iâm interested in, whether thatâs fashion or just business⌠itâs an honour that success on the court has led me to be able to do other things.â
Tennis is the reason for Genieâs success, and make no mistake, thatâs still her first love.
âThis is what I love the most. No matter if I go do media events or photoshoots or cool things, I would always rather be sweating on a tennis court.
âItâs just the way I am.â
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