Eugenie Bouchard opted to become a pickleball professional, and she recently talked about how her first professional experience went.
The Canadian player emerged as one of the biggest talents many years ago. She broke out in a major way at Wimbledon, and many assumed that she was going to be a new star in tennis.
She played like a star, and everything seemed to be perfect. Unfortunately, none of that came true as she struggled with injuries and simply failed to live up to expectations for years after.
Now, Bouchard is not part of tennis anymore, especially after opting to dedicate her time to the emerging sport of pickleball.
She's just one of several players who switched to the sport, of which Jack Sock might be the most notable name. So, what happened at her first professional pickleball event?
She sat down with the Dallas Open media team, where she played an exhibition event against Caroline Wozniacki, to discuss it.
"I played in Palm Springs for my first event in mid-January, and I was very, very nervous, like wanting to throw up before my first match. I got totally smoked in the first game that I played. I improved as the day went on, I had singles and mixed doubles and then women's doubles, all in the same day."
Anytime you start something new, there will be some nerves present. Bouchard certainly felt it at that event, but as time passed, she got used to it and felt better. She credited her teammates, who helped her with tips as the match went on.
She lost her first singles match to Ekaterina Biakina 11-1 and 11-7, but improved as time went on at the event. Ultimately, the more experience she gains, the easier it will be.
"By the last match, I was feeling much more comfortable on the court. I had great partners who helped me and gave me advice and tried to tell me what to do a little bit. I think playing more tournaments will help me get into it."
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