Eugenie Bouchard is in the forefront of the news yet again, but this time it is for reasons in the court rather than on it. The Canadian won her case against the USTA for a fall she sustained back in the 2015 US Open.
In the past few years, there have not been many wins for her on the court and that has led to people doubting whether she will ever win one of the four prestigious Grand Slam events. However, I disagree and am very confident that Eugenie Bouchard will eventually lift a Grand Slam singles trophy.
Eugenie Bouchard is still young
It feels like the Canadian has been around for an awfully long time because she broke through at such a young age. It may be a big surprise for some people to find out that Bouchard is still only 24 years of age and she is still incredibly young for the modern day tennis player.
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The days of eighteen-year-old world #1s are long gone and players now are enjoying their peak much later in their careers. Just look at Angelique Kerber, for example. The German was twenty-eight when she topped the world rankings for the first time and also won her first two Grand Slams in the same year. There is no need to panic over Eugenie Bouchard, she still has valuable time on her side.
2014 was no fluke
I have heard numerous people say that the Canadian’s spectacular season in 2014 was ‘lucky’ and a ‘fluke’ but that is just utter nonsense. There is no luck involved in making the semifinals of the Australian Open, backing this up with a semifinal showing at the French Open, and then reaching a Wimbledon final. It was not just one Grand Slam tournament she performed exceptionally well at – it was three in a row.
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Of course, that was four years ago but it shows us that Bouchard is capable of posting those elite level results. There are not too many active players on the WTA Tour who have made three Grand Slam semifinals in the same year so this puts the Canadian in an illustrious group of players like Kerber and the Williams sisters.
Her perspective might change
It is evident that Eugenie Bouchard does not put every ounce of energy she has into her tennis and that is perhaps the reason that her ranking has taken a major slump. We do have to remember that she was thrown into the limelight as a teenager and it can not be easy for someone to grow up in this ‘celebrity’ lifestyle. Moreover, like I mentioned earlier, she is still young.
What a difference a year makes #SuperBowlDate pic.twitter.com/0TniPPcoim
— Genie Bouchard (@geniebouchard) February 5, 2018
It may take another poor season for the twenty-four-year-old to realise that maybe tennis is the most important thing to her and this could inspire her to work even harder to make the most out of her potential. Her peak may be six years away so Bouchard has plenty of time to turn her career around.
Eugenie Bouchard is a quality player
There is no denying that the Canadian is a quality tennis player, even if she is ranked outside the top-100 in the world. She is such a clean ball striker with an aggressive game that suits perfectly to hard and grass courts. Bouchard has shown us glimpses of her brilliance and reminds everybody why she is a former world #5.
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Remember her stunning victory over Maria Sharapova in Madrid last year? That awesome performance left people wondering why the Canadian is struggling so much yet she can play tennis like that. That win showed us that she can do it if she really wants to because that match with the Russian was a grudge match that she could not afford to lose. There is no doubting, in my mind at least, that Eugenie Bouchard has the game to win Grand Slams.
Rivals Doing Well
Many of the players in the Canadian’s age group are becoming household names for reasons on the court. Garbine Muguruza, 24, has now won two Grand Slams, achieved world #1 and currently sits at #3. Elina Svitolina, 23, is cementing her place in the top four and is racking up titles at an alarming rate. One of Eugenie Bouchard’s best friends on tour, Sloane Stephens, 24, is now a Grand Slam champion.
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There was once a time when Bouchard was being tipped for great things and would be the best player of her generation. Maybe the success of her rivals will drive her to fulfil the talent we all know she has.
For some people, this may seem like a bold call. To pick a twenty-four-year-old woman ranked #114 in the world to win a Grand Slam one day. But Eugenie Bouchard is different. She has shown us what she is capable of and the Canadian is still very young. I am certain that Eugenie Bouchard will eventually win a Grand Slam.
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