Eugenie Bouchard has reflected on her progress as her comeback continues at the 2023 Madrid Open.
The Canadian had to get through two Madrid Open qualifiers to reach the main draw of the event for the first time in six years. Bouchard first defeated Sara Sorribes Tormo via a walkover and then went on to defeat Elizabeth Mandlik in straight sets.
Although the nature of qualification for the main event of a WTA 1000 competition may seem unusual for a former Wimbledon finalist, it is a big personal step for Bouchard as she continues a slow recovery from a long-term shoulder injury. The 29-year-old spoke to reporters at the Madrid Open and expressed her joy in making progress, no matter how small.
"Yes and no. I’ve gotten a couple of good matches in. I’m just proud that I’m able to have a chance to play another match. Matches are what I need right now -- I’ve been off intermittently for a while. It's like restarting at zero"
Bouchard made an impressive start to her professional tennis career and jumped to fifth in the WTA rankings after reaching the semi-finals at the Australian and French Opens before a Wimbledon final in 2014. However, when asked about the difference in her career between now and a decade ago, Bouchard said the two cannot be linked easily.
“It’s hard to reconcile these two -- it’s almost like two different careers. It feels long and not long at the same time. That still feels like me, but sometimes I’m like ‘Oh, my God, that was so long ago. I’m a different person, different player. So keep the memories, the confidence, the belief that I have been there but also realize that we’re a decade later and I have to move on and be who I am today. Deal with the players I have to deal with today.”
The 29-year-old also reflected on some of her setbacks and struggles when trying to keep focused and committed to making a comeback after a long injury.
“It’s like being forced not to do what you love, a forced benching. It really requires a lot of patience, and it took me a while to come back. And I’m really not that patient, so I had to really work on that. But I knew that I always wanted to come back because I didn’t want an injury to dictate my career.”
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