Eugenie Bouchard has embraced a fresh chapter in her athletic career—and it’s not on the tennis court! The Canadian star has stepped into the pickleball world, and from the looks of it, she’s found her groove in this fast-paced, smaller-court sport. After years of highs, lows, and plenty of back-and-forth with tennis, Bouchard now seems to be gaining the spotlight in her latest endeavor. 

The Canadian player began playing pickleball after failing to qualify for the US Open last year. Gradually, she started competing at a professional level joining many players who try to amalgamate their tennis skills on pickleball courts. Now, Bouchard seems to be making some great progress on the pickleball courts as well. 

Taking to Instagram, the former WTA World No.5 shared a video of herself playing pickleball. She can be seen playing against Lara Giltinan and leading against her opponent fashionably in the Pickleball World Championship Series in Texas. But what caught the attention of the fans is the remarkable Around the Post—or ATP shot that the star player is playing on the courts. The tactic requires the opponent to hit the ball at an angle where they can take off the court and strike the pickleball outside the net post. This shot was in fact acknowledged by ESPN and earned a place in the Top 10 on SportsCenter.

Sharing footage of the same, Bouchard expressed her delight. She wrote, “SC Top 10 😮‍💨🤣. ” Interestingly, Bouchard not just emerged victorious in this match, but also won her next match, 11-6, 11-2, and is into the round of 16 at the sport’s premier event. This, however, is not the first time when Bouchard has gained headlines for Pickleball and has often expressed what appealed to her to try the sport. 

Speaking in an interaction with Tennis.com, earlier this year, Bouchard said, “I was like, you know, ‘I’d love to challenge myself to try something new. And also to be a part of something that is so trending and growing so much, that was really appealing to me. It was also something I could do while still playing some tennis tournaments. So that’s why I was like, ‘Yeah, sign me up.” And it is probably for this interest for Pickleball, that Bouchard is now gearing up to participate with tennis veterans for a unique event. 

Eugenie Bouchard thrilled to participate alongside Andre Agassi in the Pickleball event

Eugenie Bouchard has played only 4 matches on tennis courts this year with her ranking dropping down to 997. But despite her attention on Pickleball, her association with the tennis community has not faded away and the star player is now gearing up to participate in a Pickleball event, alongside Andre Agassi, Andy Roddick, and Steffi Graf.

A video shared by the official Instagram handle of The Pickleball Slam in September featured Agassi as he announced the 3rd edition of the tournament, scheduled in February 2025. Speaking about the latest edition, Agassi said, “This time I will be pairing up with my Pickleball Slam win partner Andy Roddick who will be pairing up with Genie Bouchard. But I have the last laugh as I am pairing up with my legendary wife Steffi Graf!” Soon after the video was out on social media, Bouchard was quick to comment expressing her excitement. 

“This is gonna be epic! @thepickleballslam in Vegas Feb 16! Me &Andy Roddick Vs @agassi & Steffi Graf 🤩,” the 30-year-old wrote. For now, it would be interesting to see if Bouchard garners more attention on the Pickleball courts and whether she outshines Agassi and Graf in February, next year.