MONTREAL — Genie Bouchard has extended her professional tennis career by at least one more match, securing a 6-4, 2-6, 6-2 victory over Emiliana Arango in the first round of the National Bank Open on Monday.
this win marks Bouchard’s first WTA Tour victory since 2023 and the 300th of her career. She is scheduled to face No. 17 seed Belinda Bencic in the next round.
The Canadian player, who reached a career-high ranking of No. 5 in 2014 and made a Wimbledon final appearance that same year, had previously announced her intention to retire from tennis following her hometown tournament. The 31-year-old has recently focused more on pickleball, having played only one tennis match this season before receiving a wild card for the Montreal event.
After splitting the initial two sets, Bouchard secured a decisive advantage in the third by breaking Arango’s serve twice, building a 5-1 lead. Despite Arango managing to break back as Bouchard served for the match, the Canadian ultimately clinched the victory on her second match point.
Following the match, Bouchard expressed her delight, stating, “I told my family that if I won, I would come out of retirement. I felt like the old Genie out there.”
In other National Bank Open action, Emma Raducanu defeated Elena-Gabriela Ruse 6-2, 6-4, while Naomi Osaka, in her first tournament as parting ways with coach Patrick Mouratoglou, defeated Ariana Arseneault 6-4, 6-2.
