Genie Bouchard's twin sister delivers really sweet message after Canadian tennis star's retirement announcement
Genie Bouchard is calling it a career.
The 31-year-old Canadian has announced that this year’s National Bank Open in her hometown of Montreal will be the last professional tennis tournament of her career.
“You’ll know when it’s time. For me, it’s now,” Bouchard announced on social media. “Ending where it all started: Montreal.”
View this post on Instagram
Genie’s twin sister Beatrice Bouchard replied with a nice message.
“Watching you chase your dreams with everything in your being has been one of the greatest joys of my life,” said Beatrice.
“You are the true definition of hard work, determination, HEART, and resilience. You made history, inspired a nation, and gave everything to this sport. But to me.. you’ve always just been my hero. So proud to be your sister, and I can’t wait to see what’s next for you.”
Bouchard is one of the most accomplished tennis players in Canadian history. She became the first Canadian ever to make it to a Grand Slam singles final, doing so at Wimbledon in 2014.
2014 was a banner year for Genie, as she also made the semi-finals at the Australian Open and French Open, and won her lone singles title in Nuremberg. Those results skyrocketed her up the world tennis rankings, making it all the way to No. 5 in the world by age 20.
Bouchard has a career record of 299-230, winning one WTA singles title in her career and making it to seven finals. She was also an accomplished doubles player, winning one tournament and making four finals.
Genie represented Canada on numerous occasions internationally, including the Rio 2016 Olympics. She was also a member of the Canadian team that won the Billie Jean King Cup in 2023.
“Few athletes have left as profound a mark on Canadian tennis as Genie has throughout her extraordinary career,” said Tennis Canada CEO Gavin Ziv. “She achieved things that many thought would be impossible for Canadian players… She’s been and still is an incredible ambassador for our sport, and, on behalf of Tennis Canada, I want to thank her for everything she’s done. We wish her continued success in the next chapter of her career.”
Bouchard’s fame grew to a level that no other tennis player in this country has reached before. Her following on Instagram (2.3 million followers) is larger than nearly every current WTA tennis player.
Off the court, Bouchard drew headlines for her famed Super Bowl bet that saw her go on a date with a fan from Twitter in 2017. She has also posed for Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition on multiple occasions.
Genie was never able to duplicate her on-court success in 2014 and hasn’t qualified for a main card at a Grand Slam since 2020. Injuries were a factor, as a 2021 shoulder ailment kept Bouchard out of action for 17 months.
In 2023, Bouchard joined the pro pickleball tour. She’s currently ranked No. 12 on tour in singles play.
Bouchard will begin the National Bank Open on July 27 or 28, gaining entry into the Montreal tournament via a main-draw wild card.
“We are very honoured that Genie decided to retire at her home tournament in Montreal and we look forward to celebrating her career and lasting heritage with our fans,” said tournament director Valérie Tétreault. “She has been one of the most important figures in the history of our sport in Canada and a trailblazer who redefined what Canadian tennis could be. We are proud of everything she has done, as a player and role model, and we can’t wait to see her in action one last time at IGA Stadium this summer.”
- You might also like:
- Genie Bouchard catches World Series foul ball that hit fan in the face