Genie Bouchard is ditching her tennis racket for a pickleball paddle.
On Thursday, the Professional Pickleball Association (PPA) announced the signing of the Canadian tennis player, who will make her debut on the PPA Tour in 2024.
After the PPA made the announcement, journalist and tennis commentator JosĂ© Morgado reported that Bouchard’s tennis career is “not over”.
Genie Bouchard signed with the pickleball circuit, starting in 2024.
From what I understood, her tennis career is *not* over, though. pic.twitter.com/u38FHvvFo3
— JosĂ© Morgado (@josemorgado) September 7, 2023
The 29-year-old was recently eliminated in the second round of the US Open qualifying round to Dayana Yastremska in three sets on August 24. The defeat marked the fifth straight year Bouchard was unable to enter the main draw of a major tournament.
At the peak of her career, during the 2014 Wimbledon tournament, Bouchard became the first Canadian-born player representing Canada to reach the final of a major singles tournament, finishing runner-up.
That same year, she reached a career-high ranking of No. 5 in the WTA.
Over the past few years, though, Bouchard’s been sidelined from a lot of action due to injuries. Whether pickleball will provide her with more success on the court has yet to be seen.
While the announcement is making waves, the Montreal native is not the first in her sport to make the move to professional pickleball. Recently retired tennis star Jack Sock also made the switch after being eliminated from the US Open.
From a relatively unknown pastime to a major attraction, pickleball has seen exponential growth in just a few years.
Famous athletes like LeBron James, Tom Brady, and Naomi Osaka have all invested in pickleball teams in the US over the past few years, along with actor Michael B. Jordan and Drake.
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