Eugenie Bouchard was winning indeed – but it was only after the first point against Belinda Bencic.
Bencic went on to win the match, 6-2, 3-6, 6-4 to reach the third round in Montreal but the night still belonged to Bouchard. It was the final act of her storied career and couldn’t have come at a better place, in her hometown.
There were tears from Bouchard as she addressed the crowd in a post-match ceremony which featured congratulations (in a video) from the likes of fellow Quebecer Félix Auger-Aliassime and two-time defending NBO champion Jessica Pegula.
Hoisting placards, fans at IGA Stadium spelled out, ‘Merci Genie,’ and Bouchard received a commemorative trophy as well as a portrait of her career achievements.
Looking on intently was Bouchard’s entire family, including mom Julie and dad Michel. Julie cried, too.
“I think it’s so special to play my last match on this court in front of you guys,” said Bouchard. “I remember being a little kid, sitting in these stands, hoping and dreaming of playing on this court one day.
“I grew up playing on these courts and courts all around Montreal and near here so it feels like such a full circle moment to finish my career here.
“Tennis has given me so much. I’m filled with so much gratitude for this sport and for the people who helped me along the way,” she added, subsequently thanking her family, coaches and physios.
“How lucky am I to be able to live out my dreams. And finally, and maybe most importantly tonight, I would like to thank you, the fans. Your passion is incredible. The way you support someone from here, it’s something I’ll never forget.”
Bouchard certainly was a trailblazer. She became the first player representing Canada to make a Grand Slam singles final (at Wimbledon) as part of her dreamy 2014 campaign – which also produced semi-final runs at the Australian Open and the French Open.
The success of Milos Raonic, Bianca Andreescu, Denis Shapovalov and Auger-Aliassime all followed.
Always looking to step in and rip, visor in tow, Bouchard took the tennis world by storm. Even as her ranking dropped, her popularity never did.
She’ll play even more pickleball now and figures to do that for a while since Bouchard is still only 31.
But tennis presents a different physical challenge and against the 17th-seeded Bencic, Bouchard couldn’t quite keep it up.
After her emotional, physical three-set win against counterpuncher Emiliana Arango on Monday night – when the loud Montreal fans gave her an out of body experience – Bouchard turned up Wednesday with heavy taping to her upper left leg.
She entered the NBO with only one singles match under her belt in 2025, so it couldn’t have been much of a surprise.
The odds were already against her, since the last time she beat a Top 20 player came in 2017 in Madrid. Bouchard didn’t even have a ranking.
Against the 2021 Olympic champion and this month’s Wimbledon semifinalist, Bouchard looked to end points quickly in the opener but sprayed balls. She hit seven winners and 10 unforced errors in the first set.
Despite how the first set unfolded, the Montreal faithful never left her side. They roared when Bouchard ripped backhand winners to build some momentum in the second.
It got even louder as Bouchard rifled a backhand passing shot down the line to help her get to 3-2.
While new mom Bencic tallied nine straight points near the end of the first set, Bouchard claimed 10 of the final 14 points of the second with more than a few spectacular drives. She couldn’t have played many better sets in her life – crunching 14 winners coupled with a mere three unforced errors.
The momentum was firmly with her and more so when Bouchard saved a pair of break points at 0-1 in the third and capitalized on her fifth break chance to lead 2-1.
However, Bouchard dropped serve from 40-15 at 3-2 to kickstart the final, late momentum shift in a set. Bencic ended up claiming eight of the final 10 points to improve to 4-0 against Bouchard.
"I think I just wanted a moment like this because my career kind of deserved a moment like this, is what I felt like. I really think I got it tonight, and I'm so grateful for that."
Bouchard departed the scene after her tribute but vowed to be back.
“It’s not a goodbye,” she told the crowd. “I’ll be back in another version of Genie.”
Feature Photo : Pascal Ratthe
