Eugenie Bouchard opens up about why she pushed hard to make a comeback instead of sitting and watching Netflix

Eugenie Bouchard made a strong comeback on the WTA tour and defeated Elizabeth Mandlik in the second round of qualifying at the 2023 Madrid Open on Tuesday (April 25). She defeated the American in straight sets, 6-3, 6-2, to earn a place in the main draw.

The Canadian is currently playing against Ukraine's Dayana Yastremska in the opening round of the WTA 1000 tournament, and the score is 6-7(6-8), 6-2 at the time of writing this article. They are now competing in the third set to see who can close the deal.

Eugenie Bouchard sat down for an interview with the WTA and stated that while she could sit on her couch and watch Netflix, that is not who she is, which is why she made a comeback as she is a fighter who loves working hard.

"You know. I could. I could just chill, I guess, for the rest of my life, but that’s not who I am. That’s why I achieved the success I did. Because I’m a fighter and I love to work hard. And I could sit on my couch and watch Netflix -- and that sounds appealing for sure -- but after two days I would go crazy," Bouchard said.

"I would need a project, something to do and I’m like, 'While I’m physically still young enough why not still do tennis?' I’ll pursue other projects later on, but right now let me just see what I can do until I decide not to play anymore," she added.

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"You can’t win all the time unless you’re Novak Djokovic or Rafa Nadal" - Eugenie Bouchard

Eugenie Bouchard pictured at the WTA Guadalajara Open Akron 2022 - Day 2.

Eugenie Bouchard also recalled receiving backlash on social media after failing to build on her breakthrough season. She stated that unless a player is Rafael Nadal or Novak Djokovic, they cannot win every match.

"Looking back, I was still Top 50 in the world. It’s still amazing to be 50 in the world. And you can’t win all the time unless you’re Novak [Djokovic] or Rafa [Nadal]," Bouchard said.

Bouchard believes that athletes should be allowed to take a break and engage on social media as long as they remain focused on their goals.

"I’ve known all along who I am and what I do. And look, lots of tennis players are posting -- people post more than me these days. I’m so happy that these days it’s so much more normal," Bouchard said.

"As long as you don’t get too distracted with it, stay focused on your No.1 goal. Why not? Life is great. Just don’t put us in a box," she added.