Eugenie Bouchard Strongly Echoes Steffi Graf’s Woes in Transitioning to Pickleball

Canadian tennis player Eugenie Bouchard recently opened up about her feelings after shifting to pickleball permanently from professional tennis. Bouchard, who was the former number five WTA player, truly surprised her fans by revealing this decision. She referred to the American tennis legend Steffi Graf when she was asked about her experience after moving to pickleball.

Graf debuted at the pickleball game by participating in the pickleball slam’s second edition with her husband Andre Agassi. However, she expressed that her body didn’t feel apt to take on this new sport. Now, after Steffi Graf’s revelation, Eugenie Bouchard dropped her bits about this new transition.

Is the ‘second nature’ of Eugenie Bouchard making pickleball difficult for her?

In a recent interview with Dave Fleming, Bouchard opened up about her initial experience of shifting to pickleball. She said that she wishes to get better in this spot and win tournaments. In Bouchard’s words- “You know I am a lil in over my head at the beginning but I hope to get better. I would say my goals are to I mean as soon as I can and whatever tournament I can win matches I would love to have that feelings.”

Bouchard also spoke about her difficulties shifting to this new sport from tennis. Bouchard said, “For sure I mean I have been a tennis player. I play tennis for twenty years. And it’s second nature at this point and when I get on the pickle court, even though everything is different, the paddles are different, for me I am like still playing tennis in my head. And so everytime we are going to work on a new shot, something that is pickle specific as supposed to tennis, I am like I need to unwire the tennis part of my brain.”

Bouchard found it difficult to align with Pickleball. This is because she has been more bodily responsive to the needs of tennis. Bouchard further added, “Some time I feel like I have done this for so many years in my life, create new neurological connections like you know transitions to what should I do on a pickle court. That’s the hardest thing like breaking habit and undoing something you have done for twenty five years. You know its hard.”

Read more: Days After the Announcement of the Pickleball Slam 2, John McEnroe Set to Kick off His Preparation by Locking Horns With an NFL Veteran in a Celebrity Event

Bouchard’s candid revelation made fans relive the statements of Steffi Graf. Graf spoke about how her tennis skills slowed down her ability to grasp pickleball in full swing. Graf said, “I have not had an easy time. I want to move around. I want to hit the ball. I don’t want to slow down and be patient, waiting for the right moment to attack. I tend to want to keep my feet moving. That’s what I learned in tennis. My mind knows what I should be doing, but my body is not quite ready to let that tennis mind go.”

Eugenie Bouchard’s statement revealed that pickleball is truly a different sport, and tennis players need to keep their tennis mind aside if they want to make a good move in pickleball. Nonetheless, given Bouchard’s track record in tennis, she will soon dominate the court much like she did back in tennis. What are your thoughts?

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