“Merci, merci, merci! I love you all”: Eugenie Bouchard says goodbye in Montreal, where it all began
The former Wimbledon finalist played the last match of her career on Wednesday night — at home in Montreal — in a moment filled with emotion. Beaten in three sets by Belinda Bencic (6-2, 3-6, 6-4), Bouchard bows out at 31 after a brilliant, turbulent, and unforgettable career.
Eugénie Bouchard Retraite Montreal 2025 – © Zuma / Psnewz
It always seemed meant to be: her final match would happen here, in Montreal — the city where she grew up, dreamed big, and first hit tennis balls. Eugenie Bouchard had announced that the WTA 1000 in Quebec would be her last tournament, and it ended Wednesday night not with a title, but with a moment frozen in time — full of gratitude, pride, and emotion.
Facing world No.20 Belinda Bencic, Bouchard fought with the fierce spirit that defined her career. She fell in three sets (6-2, 3-6, 6-4), but the score hardly mattered. The crowd never stopped beating in unison with her heart.
A farewell in the spotlight
The stands of IGA Stadium were packed and didn’t empty after match point. Instead, Bencic remained respectfully on the bench, letting the moment belong fully to Bouchard. A tribute video played on the big screen before the Canadian took the microphone, tears in her eyes.
“I’ll try not to cry. It’s so special to play my last match here. I remember coming here as a kid, dreaming of playing on this court. Now it’s come full circle.”
She thanked her team, her family, her fans — “for their incredible passion” — and ended with a final message in French: “Merci, merci, merci ! Je vous aime. This is not a goodbye. I’ll be back, but in a new version of Eugenie.”
A blinding peak in 2014, and battles in the shadows
It’s impossible to talk about Bouchard’s career without going back to 2014 — the year she broke through in spectacular fashion. At just 20 years old, she reached the semi-finals at the Australian Open and Roland-Garros, then made the Wimbledon final, where only Petra Kvitova stopped her (6-3, 6-0). She became the first Canadian woman to reach a Grand Slam final and soared to No.5 in the world, igniting a tennis boom across Canada.
But the years that followed were tougher: plagued by injuries, lost confidence, overwhelming media attention, and a difficult descent from the spotlight. Always under scrutiny, Bouchard kept fighting — in qualifying rounds, on the ITF circuit, and in doubles — without ever fully walking away. She was still competing as recently as this spring.
An ending true to who she is: raw, strong, and generous
Bouchard returned to Montreal one last time with longtime coach Sylvain Bruneau by her side. On Tuesday, she earned a final singles win against Emiliana Arango — one last defiant flourish. On Wednesday, she thanked an entire career with elegance.
“Tennis gave me everything. I’m grateful for every moment — the highs and the lows. This sport made me who I am.”
Her path may not have followed the straight line that seemed destined in 2014, but her impact on Canadian and women’s tennis is undeniable. She paved the way for players like Bianca Andreescu and Leylah Fernandez and made tennis a mainstream sport in her country.
Eugenie Bouchard is no longer a professional tennis player. But she remains a defining figure in the sport — one we’re sure to see again, in new roles, still smiling. Canada’s “Genie” says goodbye — but the light she sparked will keep shining.
