Eugenie Bouchard’s final match: ‘A full circle moment’ at Canadian Open

Whatever magic Eugenie Bouchard conjured in her first-round win at the Canadian Open, her final professional tennis tournament, it wore off Wednesday night in Montreal. The Canadian fought valiantly in her WTA Tour finale, but lost in three sets to world No. 20 Belinda Bencic, 6-2, 3-6, 6-4. Now, Bouchard retires from tennis after a 16-year pro career that saw her reach a Wimbledon final and a career-high ranking of No. 5.

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“I think it’s so special to play my last match here in Montreal on this court in front of you guys,” Bouchard told an announced crowd of 10,138 after the match. “I remember being a little kid sitting in these stands, hoping and dreaming that I can play on this court one day. … It feels like such a full circle moment to finish my career here.”

When it was over, Bouchard stood on the court and gazed around the stadium, listening to the roars and applause from the Montreal crowd. She received a commemorative photo collage and a Tennis Canada plaque. Standing beside Tennis Canada coach Sylvain Bruneau, Bouchard watched a montage of her career, with tributes from longtime coach Nick Saviano and current players Jessica Pegula and Canadian compatriot Felix Auger-Aliassime. Fighting back tears, Bouchard thanked her family for their sacrifice and support, as well as the fans who allowed her to live out her tennis dream.

“Tennis has given me so much,” Bouchard said. “I’m filled with so much gratitude for this sport and the people along the way.”

Bouchard’s left leg was taped up as she stepped onto the court Wednesday, a sign of the toll on her body from Monday’s victory, her first on the WTA Tour since 2023. That didn’t stop her from showing flashes of her past, even though she was up against a superior player.

Bencic raced out to an early lead, breaking twice in the first set and winning 70.6 percent of her first-serve points. She dictated the rallies with deep shots, which Bouchard couldn’t reciprocate. Bouchard only won 29.4 percent of her first-serve returns, sailing a forehand long on set point to give Bencic the opener. It appeared that Bouchard’s final match was racing toward a rapid conclusion.

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Not so fast.

Bouchard began to play freely. She defended her serve, holding the first four service games. She unleashed various shots, from backhand winners up the line to kick serve and volleys. In between points, she smiled. The fans tried to will the Canadian hometown favorite with loud cheers and “Let’s go Genie” chants. During several Bouchard service games, the Canadian paused before tossing, letting the spectators extend their applause.

Up 4-3 and facing break point, Bouchard hit a forehand corner that looked like it was going long. She asked whether the ball was in. The crowd noise was so thunderous that she didn’t know the call. It painted the line, giving the Canadian the break en route to a second-set win.

At the start of the third set, it looked like Bouchard’s level was starting to dip. The unforced errors began to increase. With Bencic leading 1-0, she had two break point opportunities. But Bouchard came up clutch to hold serve at 1-1. She was the aggressor, running Bencic side to side, hitting exquisite volleys at the net. In the subsequent game, after more than nine minutes and facing a fifth break point chance, Bouchard capitalized on Bencic’s backhand error in the net. She pumped her fist as the finish line looked to be in sight.

The stellar play started to fade, however, and Bencic regained her form, owning the rallies as she started moving Bouchard behind the baseline. The Canadian’s serving that got her to within a couple of games of victory couldn’t bail her out. Facing double match point, Bouchard extended the rally, but ultimately her backhand sailed wide, ending the match and her career.

Bouchard announced July 16 that she would retire from professional tennis after the Canadian Open. A Montreal native, Bouchard wrote: “You’ll know when it’s time. For me, it’s now. Ending where it all started: Montreal.”

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The 31-year-old, who grew up in the Montreal suburb of Westmount, was a product of Tennis Canada’s National Training Centre, one of three regional sites to train the future generation of Canadian players. Among the alumni are Auger-Aliassime and 2019 U.S. Open champion Bianca Andreescu.

She relocated to Florida at age 12, training with Saviano. In 2012, she gained notoriety by winning junior Wimbledon before her ascendance began on the WTA Tour. At the end of 2013, Bouchard reached No. 32 after reaching her first career WTA singles final in Osaka, Japan. She was on the radar of the tennis world after earning WTA Newcomer of the Year honors.

Bouchard’s banner year on the WTA Tour was 2014. She won the Nuremberg Cup, a clay-court event in Germany, for her first WTA Tour title. At Roland Garros, Bouchard lost a close three-setter to eventual champion Maria Sharapova 4-6, 7-5, 6-2, one of the most memorable matches of their short-lived but intense rivalry. Bouchard’s semifinal appearance at Roland Garros followed the Australian Open, where she also lost to eventual champion Li Na in straight sets during the semis.

At Wimbledon, Bouchard progressed one round further, beating two-time slam champion Simona Halep in the semifinals to advance to her first slam final. Even though it was a lopsided victory for Petra Kvitová in the championship match, Bouchard became the first Canadian (man or woman) to reach a singles final.

Bouchard would never be able to recapture the magic of that 2014 season. Injuries would define the latter stages of her career, resulting in a loss of form and a drop in the rankings. She made finals in 2020 and 2021, at the Istanbul Cup and Abierto Zapopan, but shoulder surgery resulted in a 17-month hiatus and drop from the world rankings. Bouchard did make a comeback, though, most notably helping Canada win its first Billie Jean King Cup in 2023 with two victories in doubles.

Away from the court, Bouchard was a color commentator for Tennis Channel and Sportsnet in Canada. She also competed in pickleball events, including the “Pickleball Slam” earlier this year alongside 2003 U.S. Open champion Andy Roddick, eight-time major winner Andre Agassi and 22-time major champion Steffi Graf.

What she does post-tennis remains uncertain, but for her final home tournament, Bouchard gave one last memorable performance to bookend her story.

(Photo: Minas Panagiotakis / Getty Images)

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