Frank words

Tennis ace Bouchard: “I was hated for it!”

Bouchard graced the cover of "Sports Illustrated" in 2017 and 2018

(Bild: APA/AFP/SAEED KHAN, instagram.com)

Tennis ace Eugenie Bouchard speaks plainly in an interview with the British newspaper "The Times"! The 2014 Wimbledon finalist recalls nasty hate comments during her career.

"I used to be able to train six hours a day and later post on social media that I was at the movies and I was hated," says the 30-year-old Canadian.

According to her, the main reason for this is her modeling career and her presence on social media. She has 2.3 million followers on Instagram, where she frequently posts photos in a bikini or in sexy poses. In 2017 and 2018, Bouchard also graced the cover of "Sports Illustrated" - in a tight swimsuit, of course. 

"I have the feeling that it's more normal"
That wouldn't have gone down well with everyone either. "I got so much hate for doing anything other than tennis. It was a heavy burden to carry on my shoulders and it was really hard. At least it's more accepted now. Not that I'm the only pioneer doing something like this, but I feel like it's become a bit more normal because of me."

But she doesn't want to change anything. "It increases my fan base and my audience, which in turn helps me get better offers from brands," the Canadian explained in a podcast recently.

"Why would I say no to that?"
"I used to feel like I was pigeonholed, like you can't do anything else but tennis. I thought to myself, tennis has given me the opportunity to discover the fashion world, television and all these other things. Why would I say no to that? We're talking about my whole life here."

Due to numerous injuries, Bouchard, who reached the Wimbledon final in 2014, never really got back into her stride. She played her last match on the WTA Tour in May 2024 at the ITF/USTA in Florida.