Daniil Medvedev wasn’t exaggerating when he said there’s been an atmosphere of “fear” and “paranoia” in tennis. Two major doping cases have sent shockwaves through the sport, leaving players more cautious than ever about what they consume. Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek, two of the biggest names in the game, tested positive for doping due to contamination. Now, every player is on high alert. But Eugenie Bouchard? She remains as carefree as ever.
Bouchard is currently juggling both professional tennis and pickleball. Her last tennis match came at the WTA 1000 event in Canada in 2024. Then, during the US Open last year, she received an intriguing offer from her agents. The PPA Tour was calling, and Bouchard saw an opportunity to explore a new sport without giving up on tennis. The 31-year-old is competing in all three eligible categories at the PPA Red Rock Open: singles, doubles, and mixed doubles. However, her debut in Utah didn’t go as planned. She lost in the first round in all three events.
However, the Canadian tennis star turned pickleball pro isn’t letting the defeat faze her. While others are double-checking every supplement, she’s out here making jokes about taking random pills off an airport bathroom floor. Yes, really. She posted a video on her Instagram story, showing a pill on the floor with a poll: “How much to consume this pill on the airport bathroom floor?” The options? 100, 1,000, and even higher.
So, how much would you pay her to take that mystery pill?
The 31-year-old is currently ranked No. 1000 in tennis but sits at No. 17 in the pickleball world. She’s already got her own signature paddle, joining a growing list of former tennis players transitioning to the sport. Jack Sock, Sam Querrey, and Donald Young have all made the switch, finding a new competitive outlet.
That doesn’t mean the transition has been easy.
Eugenie Bouchard reveals struggling at pickleball in the beginning
So why did Eugenie Bouchard take up pickleball in the first place? “I wouldn’t say burned out,” she explained. “I was just excited about a new opportunity.”
However, the early days in pickleball were rough. “So many things that I would do in tennis are not what you want to do in pickleball,” she told Tennis.com last year. “So it’s kind of like I have to rewire my brain and just spend a lot of time on the practice courts and playing matches until I finally got some wins.”
Wins are still hard to come by, but Bouchard isn’t losing her sense of humor. For example, after her recent exit in Tucson, Arizona, she made sure to point out the real victory: fashion. “I may not have won the tournament but at least I had the cutest outfit,” she wrote on social media, showing off her yellow New Balance top and green-patterned skirt.
That’s the energy she’s bringing to this new phase of her career. Back in October, she reached her first professional pickleball semifinal in Las Vegas. She lost, but her excitement was undeniable. “I’m so excited, I can’t tell you how happy I am,” she told PickleballTV. “I feel like I’ve been putting in the hours and I’m so happy to see it paying off on the match court.”
Bouchard isn’t done with tennis, and she’s still searching for that first big pickleball win. But with her competitive spirit, sharp wit, and growing presence in both sports, she’s making her mark in a whole new way.
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