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Canadian tennis star Eugenie Bouchard channeled her inner Barbie during a practice session ahead of her first-round qualifier match at the 2023 Canadian Open.
Bouchard is eager to make a splash at the 2023 Canadian Open, the season’s sixth WTA 1000 tournament. However, the 29-year-old has to play the qualifying rounds to earn a spot in the main draw.
Eugenie Bouchard, currently ranked No. 223 in the world, is hoping to regain her form and confidence at her home event. Bouchard has been struggling with injuries and inconsistent results the last few years, after having been ranked as high as No. 5 in 2014.
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That same year, she made history by becoming the first Canadian-born player to play a Major singles final. However, Bouchard lost in straight sets to Petra Kvitová to finish as the runner-up at Wimbledon.
The Canadian posted a reel on Instagram on Friday, August 4, showing off her barbie themed outfit as she practiced on the court.
"Tennis Barbie," Bouchard wrote on Instagram.
Eugenie Bouchard recently expressed her enthusiasm for the upcoming Barbie movie through her social media channel. The Canadian shared a series of Instagram stories, highlighting her long-standing connection with Barbie dolls - which supposedly even predated the buzz generated by the film featuring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling.
The 29-year-old athlete shared a picture of herself adorned in pink attire, holding a Barbie doll in her hand.
"I would like to humbly remind you all that I was ahead of my time with the Barbie trend. This was my Barbie-themed birthday party last year," Bouchard wrote.
In a nostalgic gesture, Bouchard also posted a 1998 video where she could be seen joyfully unwrapping Barbie-themed presents with her sister during Christmas. The video captured the elation of a four-year-old Bouchard upon discovering a Barbie set among the gifts.
Recently, Eugenie Bouchard attended the ESPY Awards, where she graced the event in a pink dress. She aptly captioned an Instagram post from the occasion:
"Barbie at the ESPYs."
Eugenie Bouchard faces Danielle Collins in the first round of the qualifiers for the Canadian Open 2023
Eugenie Bouchard will face a formidable opponent in the first round of the qualifiers for the 2023 Canadian Open. The Canadian, who is currently ranked No. 223 in the world, will face American Danielle Collins, who is ranked No. 49 and seeded third in the qualifying draw.
Bouchard and Collins have never met before on the WTA Tour. Collins is coming off a decent performance at Wimbledon, where she reached the second round and pushed 14th seed Belinda Bencic to three sets.
She has clinched two WTA titles, and like Bouchard is a former Slam finalist. Collins reached the final of the Australian Open in 2022, losing to Ashleigh Barty.
Bouchard, on the other hand, has been struggling to regain her form and confidence since reaching the final of Wimbledon in 2014.
