Eugenie Bouchard extends career, wins thrilling first-round match at Canadian Open
The Canadian dazzled in front of the home fans Monday night, winning in three thrilling sets 6-4, 2-6, 6-2 against world No. 82 Emiliana Arango in two hours and 14 minutes to advance to the second round of the Canadian Open. At least for one match, Bouchard, 31, showed the natural athleticism and tenacious grit that made her a Wimbledon finalist in 2014.
“I didn’t know what to expect,” Bouchard said after the match. “I woke up this morning just telling myself, ‘Look, I can’t control the result. I just want to have a good attitude, have good fight, and try feel good with my shots, feel good with my game.’”
The crowd at @OBNmontreal was loving Eugenie Bouchard’s win. 🇨🇦 pic.twitter.com/KiEljfUQCI
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) July 29, 2025
It was the ideal start for Bouchard. She was hitting deep groundstroke winners and extending rallies with her court coverage. But down 3-2 after an early break, there was fear this finale could be over quickly. Bouchard had other ideas. She started moving to the net more, unleashing her trademark drive volleys. Her first serve was efficient, winning 81.3 percent of the points behind it, and Colombia’s Arango started piling up errors, sailing a forehand long to give Bouchard the immediate break back and level the set at 3-3.
On set point up 5-4, Bouchard connected on a forehand crosscourt winner, taking the opening set in 42 minutes.
The second set saw Bouchard’s unforced error count tick up as she struggled at the net, winning only one of 10 points there and paving the way for Arango to take the second set.
The third set saw lengthy games and grueling rallies. But it was Bouchard who got the first break to go up 3-1, bringing fans to their feet to high-five one another. The sound became deafening as Bouchard got closer to the finish line. Even holding serve to consolidate the break and go up 4-1 with a forehand crosscourt shot that Arango couldn’t handle led to roars.
“I haven’t played in front of a crowd like that in a while or a big match like that in a while,” Bouchard said. “I really tried to be disciplined with my focus.”
On her home turf! ❤️@geniebouchard takes the first set 6-4 over Arango. #OBN25pic.twitter.com/mTRXlOjTtJ
— wta (@WTA) July 28, 2025
She wasn’t ending her career on this night, taking a commanding double-break lead at 5-1. Arango broke to stay in the match at 5-2, but it wasn’t enough. Bouchard kept bothering the Colombian with her deep groundstrokes, winning 75 percent of Arango’s second-serve return points.
The Canadian ultimately broke serve for a third time to stay alive in her final tournament, and when Arango’s backhand sailed wide, Bouchard put her hands on her head and smiled to her box, which included family members, coach Sylvain Bruneau and Tennis Canada Billie Jean King Cup captain Heidi El Tabakh. There were tears in Bouchard’s eyes as she waved to the raucous crowd, thanking her fans for their support in lifting her to this monumental victory. It was Bouchard’s first match win on the WTA Tour since the Guadalajara Open in 2023. Before Monday, Bouchard’s last victory in Canada was in 2016.
For over two hours, Bouchard said she felt like the old “Genie” of a decade ago, when she was at the peak of her game.
“I think coming back to Montreal, I had these visions of like when I’ve played here in the past and just good feelings on that court with that crowd,” Bouchard said. “It just really brought me back to some very nice memories I’ve had here over the years.”
Bouchard, whose career-high ranking was No. 5, announced July 16 that she would retire from professional tennis after the Canadian Open. A native of Montreal, Bouchard wrote: “You’ll know when it’s time. For me, it’s now. Ending where it all started: Montreal.”
Bouchard’s banner year on the WTA Tour was 2014, when she made two slam semifinals at the Australian Open and Roland Garros and the Wimbledon final. She became the first Canadian (man or woman) to reach a major singles final in the process. Bouchard has one singles and one doubles title on the WTA Tour and helped Canada win its first-ever Billie Jean King Cup in 2023.
Her professional career is still a go after Monday’s epic victory over Arango. Up next for the Canadian is world No. 20 Belinda Bencic. They have met three times previously, with Bencic winning all three. Bouchard admitted she’s thought only a little bit about the next match, wanting to enjoy this moment of fighting for a victory.
“I wanted to walk off the court having enjoyed that kind of gritty battle, and it definitely turned into one of those battles,” Bouchard said. “I enjoyed every second of it.”
Regardless of what happens next, Bouchard will always have this night in her home of Montreal to remember forever.
This article originally appeared in The Athletic.
Tennis, Women's Tennis
2025 The Athletic Media Company
