Eugenie Bouchard marked a significant moment in her tennis career by winning her first match at the National Bank Open, which is her final tournament. The former world No. 5 and the first Canadian woman to reach a Grand Slam final in the open era, Bouchard defeated Colombia's Emiliana Arango with a score of 6-4, 2-6, 6-2. This victory not only extends her professional career for at least one additional match but also represents her 300th career singles win.
Bouchard, who is now 31 years old and hails from Westmount, Quebec, announced her retirement plans on July 16, stating that she would hang up her racket at the end of her hometown event. Rising to prominence in 2014 at just 20 years old, Bouchard reached the Wimbledon final, as well as the semifinals of the Australian Open and French Open. Moreover, she secured her only WTA title in Nuremberg, Germany, during that sensational season.
Unfortunately for Bouchard, she struggled to regain that level of excellence after losing to Petra Kvitova in straight sets at the Wimbledon final. Currently ranked 1,062nd, she has moved away from the professional tennis circuit in recent years, focusing more on the PPA Pickleball Tour, where she ranks 12th in singles.
The atmosphere at IGA Stadium was electric as fans welcomed Bouchard with loud applause upon her entrance to the court. Supporters rallied behind her with enthusiastic chants of “Let’s Go Genie!” and “Allez Eugenie!” at every point. After splitting the first two sets of her match, Bouchard displayed determination in the final set. She broke Arango twice, establishing a 5-1 lead before facing a minor setback when Arango broke back. However, Bouchard regained her composure and secured the win on her second match point after Arango sent her backhand wide.
Celebrating her victory, Bouchard waved to the crowd and blew kisses, sharing her elation. “I told my family that if I won, I would come out of retirement,” she remarked from center court. “I felt like the old Genie out there.” Looking ahead, she is set to face 17th seed Belinda Bencic from Switzerland in the second round.
Bouchard exhibited flashes of her dynamic playing style throughout the match. She started strong, using a powerful backhand to push Arango out of position, and earned her first game point with a well-executed forehand winner. Although Arango initially took a 3-2 lead in the first set after converting her third breakpoint, Bouchard responded emphatically, breaking back and holding serve to secure the set, which prompted a standing ovation from the crowd.
Despite her strong start, Bouchard faced challenges in the second set, where Arango broke her serve three times, ultimately leading to a decisive third set. Earlier on the same day, other Canadian players, such as Kayla Cross and Ariana Arseneault, were eliminated from the tournament in the first round. Cross lost a hard-fought match, slipping after having a one-set lead, while Arseneault fell to Japan's Naomi Osaka.
The night concluded with Carson Branstine, who represents Canada through family ties in Toronto, taking on Greece’s Maria Sakkari in the final match. Additionally, several Canadian players, including Toronto’s Victoria Mboko, Bianca Andreescu from Mississauga, and Vancouver’s Rebecca Marino, advanced to the second round with their victories on Sunday. However, Andreescu’s status for the remainder of the tournament is uncertain following an ankle injury sustained while closing out her match against Czechia’s Barbora Krejcikova.
