Bouchard achieves career continuation, securing victory in the initial round of the NBO tournament, invoking comparisons to a historical Genie.
In an unexpected turn of events, former world No. 5 and the first Canadian woman to contest a Grand Slam final in the open era, Eugenie Bouchard, has extended her professional tennis career with a notable win at the 2025 National Bank Open. This victory, her first WTA singles win since 2023 and first in Montreal since 2016, signals a one-time comeback rather than a complete career resurgence [1][2][3].
Bouchard, who had announced her retirement on July 16, found herself in a close battle against Colombia's Emiliana Arango. The match, marked by intense rallies and nail-biting moments, ended in a 6-4, 2-6, 6-2 victory for Bouchard [1].
Despite her unranked status (1,062nd) after time away from tennis and other pursuits like the PPA Pickleball Tour, Bouchard demonstrated flashes of her former aggressive baseline game and precise shot-making, energized by strong home crowd support in Montreal [1][2]. However, her efforts also showed some limitations—she acknowledged her volleying suffered due to more pickleball play recently [3].
The win was emotionally significant, celebrated by fans and family, and allowed her to continue competing for at least another round against 17th seed Belinda Bencic [2][3][5]. Yet, given her age (31), focus on retirement, and limited recent tennis activity, this victory is more of a one-time comeback or brief career extension rather than clear evidence of a sustained resurgence to her top form.
During the match, Bouchard started with flashes of her attacking style, pushing her opponent out of position with a dangerous backhand and hitting a forehand winner to go up 1-0 in the first set. She held her serve to go up 5-4 and earned double breakpoint, winning the set with a forehand winner down the line [1].
However, Bouchard's momentum didn't carry into the second set, as her opponent broke her three times to force a third set [1]. But Bouchard managed to regain her momentum in the third set, ultimately winning the match on her second match point [1].
The National Bank Open saw several other notable performances. Toronto's Victoria Mboko, Bianca Andreescu of Mississauga, Ont., and Vancouver's Rebecca Marino advanced to the second round. Unfortunately, Canada's Kayla Cross, Ariana Arseneault, and Carson Branstine all dropped out of the tournament after the first round [1].
Andreescu's status for the remainder of the tournament is unclear after she hurt her left ankle on match point against Czechia's Barbora Krejcikova [1].
In summary:
- Career status: Planned retirement; this is an extension on hold, not a full comeback
- Recent performance: First WTA win since 2023, first in Montreal since 2016
- Ranking: Unranked (1,062nd) due to limited recent tennis activity
- Style and form: Showed flashes of former aggressive baseline game; limited net play due to pickleball focus
- Emotional crowd impact: Very positive, hometown support vital for her victory
- Next match: Advanced to face Belinda Bencic, world No. 17, on Wednesday night
Thus, Bouchard’s win is best viewed as an unexpected, inspiring one-time comeback performance during her farewell tournament rather than a clear turning point indicating a full career resurgence [1][2][3][5].
[1] Montreal Gazette [2] CBC Sports [3] Tennis.com [4] La Presse [5] Le Devoir
In light of her unexpected victory, former tennis player Eugenie Bouchard is temporarily postponing her retirement plans to compete in sports once more, specifically in a one-time comeback on the tennis court. This extraordinary performance, represented by her first WTA singles win since 2023 and first in Montreal since 2016, is not indicative of a complete career resurgence but rather a brief extension of her professional sports career, particularly in the realm of tennis.
