Genie or Eugenie? – Controversy Around The Name Of Eugenie Bouchard

Eugenie Bouchard has been part of some controversies over the years. Even as her tennis form has come down tremendously in the past few years, it is difficult for her to not be a part of the news.

A great part of that is attributed to her straight forward attitude and amazing looks. Be it her ugly spat with Maria Sharapova or her “fatphobic” Instagram post, people have constantly talked about Eugenie Bouchard. However, the weirdest controversy that she has been a part of is about her name.

Her first name “Eugenie” is a French name. However, she often calls herself Genie which leads many to raise questions about her identity. This has been a source of some controversy over the years.

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Why is there a controversy about the name of Eugenie Bouchard? 

The Canadian star Eugenie Bouchard was born in the predominantly French-speaking town of Quebec in Montreal. However, English is her first language.

More than that, Bouchard moved to Miami, Florida at the age of 12. Despite that, she remains a Canadian National and represents the country. However, sections of the media in Montreal have been highly critical of Bouchard for not being French enough.

“The day when all Quebecers will culturally look like the great Genie and will, like her, switch from French to English, Quebec will simply not exist anymore. It will be a North American region amongst others,” – columnist Mathieu Bock-Cote wrote for the Journal De Montreal.

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They have used her identity as a Montreal resident to bash her for her seemingly “American” ways. Many sections of this media have also called her arrogant and ignorant. However, this does not seem to be the dominant opinion.

Most of her Canadian fans seem to agree that the language she speaks or the way she pronounces her name has no impact on her affinity with the Canadian nation. She still remains the first Canadian player to reach the Wimbledon finals. This is all that matters as long as Eugenie Bouchard continues to call herself a proud resident of Montreal, Canada.