“Judge me when you become perfect,” Genie Bouchard throws shade at haters with an absolutely fiery look on a tennis court weeks after venturing into pickleball

Genie Bouchard gave a fitting reply to haters with a fiery on-court look a few months after switching to pickleball.

“Judge me when you become perfect,” Genie Bouchard throws shade at haters with an absolutely fiery look on a tennis court weeks after venturing into pickleball

Genie Bouchard, holding a racquet (in circle) via Imago.

Former Wimbledon runners-up Genie Bouchard has lashed out at critics just months after switching from tennis to pickleball. The former tennis player has heavily been criticized for her decision to leave tennis for an offer that she could not refuse.

For context, Bouchard began her tennis journey on the bright side. The Canadian became the first player to reach two Grand Slam finals in one year. Although she didn’t win either the 2014 Australian Open or the French Open, she leapfrogged to No. 5 in the WTA rankings. 

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However, after that season, a series of injuries made it difficult for her to play. The worst was a right shoulder injury, for which she had to undergo surgery.

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The Canadian dropped to No. 215 in 2023 and has never been able to qualify for a major tournament since the 2020 French Open. However, with a big offer to leave tennis for pickleball, the 30-year-old joined PPA last September. In her first tournament, the Mesa Arizona Cup, Bouchard exited early but expressed her admiration for pickleball.

In a recent post on Instagram, Bouchard, with a gym kit and racquet on a tennis training court, gave a fitting reply to her critics, eliciting a plethora of reactions online. 

Judge me when you become perfect.
Bouchard wrote.

Bouchard’s claims for joining pickleball because of injuries may be genuine. After all, the sport is not meant for every athlete due to its physical nature. However, financial stability was another big issue for her as a player who had failed to compete at any Grand Slam event for three years.

Genie Bouchard expresses admiration for pickleball

A few weeks ago, Genie Bouchard expressed her admiration for pickleball, claiming it was better than expected after playing in her first tournament. Pickleball, which is regarded as the fastest-growing sport in the USA, has gained sponsorship and fans.

Eugenie Bouchard
Eugenie Bouchard (image via PPA Tour) 
Look, pickleball is crazy. It’s wild for me to just play a completely different sport. I’ve played tennis for 25 years now, and so my brain is wired for tennis. So I either completely whiff the ball or I just hit the tip of the paddle and miss my shot. That is just so helpful. I just need more of that because I wasn’t getting that before I got here.
Bouchard said

However, despite the former World No. 5 switch to pickleball, she remains a WTA player and is ranked No. 300 in the women’s rankings.

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