Following an outstanding breakthrough season on the professional tour, where she reached the semi-final or better of three of the four Grand Slam events, Eugenie Bouchard culminated her memorable year by being named Most Improved Player on the WTA tour this year.
Although the world No. 7 ended her year in disappointing fashion at the WTA Finals in Singapore, her achievements throughout the season merited the award. Between the months of January and July, she was nearly unstoppable.
However, Bouchard did not pick up a single win over a Top 5 player following her run to the Wimbledon final, and lost every single match at the year-end championships. She attributes some of that to her hectic work schedule and the lack of experience in efficient tournament scheduling.
“Definitely, I think I’ll play less tournaments next year,” she said. “When you go deeper into the draw, especially at the bigger events, it’s definitely more stressful on the body and the mind.” “I’ll try not to play back-to-back tournaments on opposite sides of the world.
Just try to have a few more weeks throughout the year, a week here and there of practice and getting ready for the following tournament.” While the workrate has been tiresome, Bouchard has enjoyed the fruits of her labour, and does not shy away from the publicity from her rapid rise to stardom.
“Probably after I got back to Montreal [after Wimbledon, where she lost to Petra Kvitova], it took me a couple of days to get over it and get used to the whole situation—although I’m not sure it’s something you get used to,” she said.
“People coming up to you and trying to take your picture. A lot of off-court requests. But I’m not going to complain about it.” “If didn’t want attention I would have been a librarian, so I think it’s all good. I just need to make sure I know the priority is tennis.”
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