When Eugenie Bouchard came storming onto the tennis scene she brought all of Canada with her. Milos Raonic had already established himself as the poster child on the men’s side, and Bouchard slipped right in to the same role on the women’s. Unfortunately her success didn’t have much longevity as she now sits outside the top 100 seeds. It was not long ago she was established in the top 10.
There are multiple theories as to what has caused the collapse, and whether or not the talent is still there for her to rediscover. Some say that she’s young and she simply got caught up in developing as a person, making it hard to handle the intense stardom that comes with being one of the world’s best tennis players. Others think that there was a factor of beginner’s luck (or beginner’s momentum) involved in her rapid ascension.
One event that occurred that seems to fall very aptly into the timeline is the concussion she sustained at the 2015 U.S. Open. At the time of her concussion Bouchard was preparing for a 4th-round matchup. To this point, Bouchard has not made it back to the 4th round of a Grand Slam since.
The concussion seems to be a very relevant event in the collapse of Canada’s tennis star. According to Bouchard, it was caused when she was on her way to an ice bath when a patch of water on the floor caused her to slip and hit the back of her head on the floor. Staring at the ceiling, Bouchard described herself as being (via tennis.com)
In a quote from her lawyer Benedict Morelli, she was sent into “a downward spiral that she has not been able to recover from.” After two and a half years of battle with the USTA (United States Tennis Association), the two sides have finally reached a settlement, leading Bouchard to feel “vindicated”, as well as feelings of “relief and happiness”.
On Saturday, Bouchard released a statement through her Instagram account announcing the settlement, thanking those that stood by her, and expressing her relief.
The tennis star has made headlines recently with a year-long saga involving her lost Super Bowl bet and subsequent dates with a follower, but hopefully with this lawsuit behind her Bouchard can begin making waves in the tennis scene once again.
(H/T tennis.com)
