Eugenie Bouchard, the former world No. 5, has provided an encouraging update, indicating that she may return to the court.
Bouchard hasn’t played since March due to a strained subscapularis in her right shoulder. She is now ranked No. 231 in the world. She chose to have surgery in June, which effectively ended her season in 2021.
“I saw the doctor last week and everything is on track and is going well, but he wants me to strengthen my shoulder a little bit more before I get back on court,” Bouchard said on her Instagram story.
“Everything is still on time, so I just need a few more weeks of intense PT and strengthening and then I can finally—five months later get on the court.”
Eugenie Bouchard only took part in four events in 2021
Bouchard began her season in the Australian Open, where she was eliminated in the second round of qualifying.
She then lost in the first round in Lyon, but she went on to the final in Guadalajara, where she lost to Sara Sorribes Tormo.
Bouchard lost in the first round of her most recent competition in Monterrey. Bouchard recently reminisced on the US Open final, describing Emma Raducanu and Leylah Fernandez’s performance as “refreshing.”
“We were all in this narrative, saying ‘Tennis is so hard on the players’ minds, they can’t compete with the pressure, media are going too hard on those kids,’ and then you get Fernandez and Raducanu coming, all lights out, big eyes, so happy just to be out there, enjoying the moment, not thinking about the backstage, the business,” Bouchard recently told Tennis Majors.
“They’re just playing the match and beating those players. It’s so refreshing, and the contrast is massive between them and Naomi feeling like she needs a break and has no joy out there.”
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