Eugenie Bouchard has her own signature pickleball paddle and is currently ranked No. 17 in pickleball. She often appears on the main court at events because people are drawn to her.
However, Bouchard is not retired from tennis. She still practices tennis, competes in tennis events, and holds a Women’s Tennis Association ranking (currently No. 1,288). The Canadian player is simply trying a new sport. Bouchard is one of many former tennis players, like Jack Sock and Donald Young, transitioning to professional pickleball as part of a new phase in their careers.
Her transition to pickleball over the past year has been challenging with some losses and learning moments. The game combines tennis, badminton, and table tennis, and Bouchard has been adjusting to things like drop shots, which are useful in pickleball.
“I’m on center court,” Bouchard said ahead of “Pickleball Slam 3.” “Not because of my skill level in pickleball but because of what I achieved in tennis and what I’m bringing over from tennis to the pickleball world.”
Bouchard explained that at first, she didn’t like pickleball because she was losing and felt uncomfortable. She even joked about being put on the last court so no one would see her struggles. But she has started to find her rhythm.
She was first approached by the Professional Pickleball Association Tour in 2023 at the U.S. Open. The offer was to help grow pickleball, and although she had played casually with friends before, she hadn’t seriously pursued the sport.
“After we got off the phone, I was like, ‘She can make a difference in pickleball. She can really help bring us to another level as far as eyeballs,’” said Connor Pardoe, founder and CEO of the Carvana PPA Tour.
“When we understood that this is something Genie felt she can make a difference in and something that she really wanted to pursue and she wanted to give full effort, for us it was a no-brainer.”
Bouchard signed a three-year deal with the PPA Tour, though the terms haven’t been made public. The deal allows her to still compete in tennis events. She has helped increase the popularity of the PPA Tour, which merged with Major League Pickleball in February 2024. Last year, more than 320,000 fans attended PPA Tour and MLP events.
Eugenie Bouchard plays a shot in the gameBouchard is still looking for her first win in the sport, but she remains lighthearted and fashionable. After her recent loss in Tucson, Arizona, where she wore a yellow New Balance top and a green-patterned skirt, she posted on social media: “I may not have won the tournament but at least I had the cutest outfit.”
Bouchard’s goals for pickleball are simple. She wants to leave a tournament with at least one win. Her record so far is 18-19 in singles, 8-18 in doubles, and 8-19 in mixed doubles. She paired with Sock in mixed doubles at the last tournament.
“Success is going to a tournament and leaving with at least a win,” she said. “For the first couple of tournaments, I would play singles, doubles, and mixed doubles and be 0-3.
There’s just something really defeating about flying to a city and being on that plane back having not even won one match. You’re like, ‘What am I doing here?’ So thankfully I started getting wins.”
Tennis is still part of Bouchard’s life. She became a pro as a teenager and reached No. 5 in 2014, the same year she made it to the Wimbledon final, where she lost 6-3, 6-0 to Petra Kvitova.
Bouchard has earned $6.9 million in prize money from her tennis career, which has included many highlights, like reaching the semifinals of the 2014 Australian Open and French Open, and representing Canada at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. She has also had some difficult times, like shoulder surgery and settling a lawsuit with the United States Tennis Association.
“I wouldn’t say burned out,” Bouchard said when asked why she chose to try pickleball. “I was just excited about a new opportunity.”
This Sunday, she has another opportunity: teaming up with Andy Roddick for a special pickleball match against Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf, two of her tennis idols.
“I don’t even know how I got invited,” Bouchard said. “It’s pretty crazy that I’m on the court with these three legends.”
