Eugenie Bouchard will make her long-awaited comeback to tennis after 17 months out at a tournament in her home country.
The 2014 Wimbledon runner-up sustained a severe shoulder injury in March 2021 at the Monterrey Open. That issue required surgery, and she has been missing from the WTA Tour ever since.
It was a shame for Bouchard because she was starting to find form before the injury. The Canadian reached her eighth WTA final at the Abierto de Guadalajara a few days before her shoulder problem emerged.
There were rumors in June about Bouchard returning at this year's Wimbledon Championships. Coming back to where she had made her only Grand Slam final appearance seemed like it could be fitting.
However, Wimbledon's failure to award ranking points this year led to Bouchard's withdrawal. The 28-year-old explained that she only had a limited number of protected ranking entries and could not afford to waste one on a tournament without ranking points.
Her fans will be thrilled that Bouchard's return to professional tennis has been confirmed. She has elected to start slowly, playing at a WTA 125 event in Canada to try to find her feet after so long out.
Bouchard will compete at next week's WTA 125 tournament in Vancouver. Other notable Canadian players, such as Leylah Fernandez and Bianca Andreescu, have played at the event in the past.
The Vancouver tournament organizers are undoubtedly delighted that Bouchard has agreed to play at the tournament. Her presence will increase ticket sales and generate more attention than would have otherwise existed.
Observing Bouchard's level in Vancouver will be fascinating. No reasonable fan would expect her to be near her best after so long out. Hopefully, she will show positive signs, get herself match-fit, and avoid any further injuries in her first appearance in 17 months.
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