Eugenie Bouchard, once hailed as Canada’s golden girl of tennis, has officially stepped away from the professional tennis stage, closing the chapter on a remarkable and emotional journey. The 31-year-old, who once soared to World No. 5 and captured the imagination of the tennis world with her fearless game and undeniable charisma, played the final singles match of her WTA career at the Omnium Banque Nationale presente par Rogers in Montreal on July 30.
The farewell was as heartfelt as it was historic, with Bouchard breaking into tears as the crowd in her hometown paid tribute to the trailblazing star who helped elevate Canadian tennis to global heights.
A career that sparked a movement in Canadian tennis
Bouchard first made waves in 2008, debuting at just 14 years old on the ITF Circuit in Montreal. Her breakthrough came in 2012, when she captured the girls’ singles title at Wimbledon by defeating Elina Svitolina. A year later, she cracked the WTA Top 100 and was named WTA Newcomer of the Year after reaching her first WTA final in Osaka.
But it was 2014 that etched her name into the tennis history books. Eugenie Bouchard reached three Grand Slam semifinals that year — at the Australian Open, French Open, and Wimbledon — eventually finishing runner-up to Petra Kvitova at the All England Club. She climbed to a career-high No. 5 ranking on October 20, 2014, becoming the first Canadian-born player to reach a Grand Slam singles final.
Her fearless approach and aggressive baseline play earned her 12 career wins over Top 10 players and the admiration of fans around the world.
A poignant goodbye in Montreal
After announcing earlier this month that Montreal would serve as the final stop of her WTA career, Eugenie Bouchard entered the tournament as a wildcard. She started strong, battling through a three-set thriller to defeat Colombia’s Emiliana Arango in the opening round. But in her last singles match, she fell short against Belinda Bencic in another hard-fought three-set encounter (2-6, 6-3, 4-6).
Bouchard leaves the professional circuit with a 300–230 singles record, over $6.9 million in prize earnings, and a legacy that includes helping Canada win its first-ever Billie Jean King Cup in 2023.
As the curtain closed, fans in Montreal gave her a standing ovation—one that acknowledged not just her victories, but her influence, resilience, and trailblazing spirit.
“It’s been the ride of a lifetime,” Eugenie Bouchard said in a post-match interview. “Thank you, Montreal. Thank you, tennis.”