Bouchard Apologizes For 'Unnecessary' Dig At 'Dopers' Sharapova & Yastremska

Saturday, 29 April 2023 at 02:00

Updated at Saturday, 29 April 2023 at 00:44

byZachary Wimer

In the aftermath of a controversial tweet, Eugenie Bouchard offered an apology for her dig at fellow WTA colleagues.

The 2023 Madrid Open saw the Canadian navigate her way through the qualifying rounds and secure a first-round victory over Dayana Yastremska. However, her success on the court was overshadowed by a controversial tweet in which she took a jab at Yastremska and Maria Sharapova, referring to them as "dopers".

In the original tweet, Bouchard stated: "There's something about playing dopers in Madrid." She later deleted the tweet and issued an apology after her second-round exit from the tournament, admitting her lapse in judgment and acknowledging the importance of fair play.

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"I want to apologize for my tweet yesterday. It was a lapse in judgment, and unnecessary. Though I’ve always championed fair play, I didn’t have all my facts in order and certainly didn’t mean to cause harm. I’m going to continue to work on myself going forward, both on and off the court."

Bouchard's tweet caught the attention of renowned tennis coach Patrick Mouratoglou, who expressed his relief at the Canadian's decision to delete the message. Mouratoglou commented on the situation, saying:

"I am glad Genie deleted her tweet. It is not a fair thing to attack people who have been totally cleared by the Tribunal."

Bouchard's public apology highlights the significance of athletes maintaining a level of professionalism and respect for their fellow competitors, something that is very needed on the WTA Tour right now, as many players opened up about tensions in the locker room.

Bouchard's apology sets an example for other athletes to follow, demonstrating the importance of owning up to one's mistakes and learning from them, while also respecting fellow competitors regardless of their background and history.

Focusing on her tennis, the Canadian will now want to follow up on her good results from the Spanish capital in the capital city of another European country - Italy. The 2014 Wimbledon finalist will want to show her best at the 2023 Italian Open in Rome to prepare for the upcoming Grand Slam on clay.