MONTREAL — Eugenie Bouchard is off to a triumphant start in her final tournament.
The former world No. 5 — and first Canadian woman to contest a Grand Slam final in the open era — upset Colombia’s Emiliana Arango 6-4, 2-6, 6-2 in the first round Monday night at the National Bank Open, extending her tennis career for at least one match.
Bouchard, who also earned her 300th singles win, announced on July 16 that she would hang up her racket at the end of her hometown event.
The 31-year-old from Westmount, Que., rose to prominence with a sensational season in 2014. At only 20, Bouchard reached the Wimbledon final and played in the Australian Open and French Open semifinals. She also won her only WTA title in Nuremberg, Germany.
Bouchard, however, never returned to that level after losing to Petra Kvitova in straight sets in the championship game at the All England Club.
Now ranked 1,062nd, Bouchard has moved away from the pro tennis circuit in recent years, spending more time on the PPA Pickleball Tour, where she ranks 12th in singles.
Fans showed up at a mostly full IGA Stadium, welcoming Bouchard with loud applause when she stepped on the court and cheering her on — with mixed chants of “Let’s Go Genie!” and “Allez Eugenie!” — at every point.
After splitting the first two sets, Bouchard broke the 82nd-ranked Arango twice — first with a forehand, then from the Colombian’s missed volley — to build a 5-1 lead in the decisive third.
Arango broke back with Bouchard serving for the match to make it 5-2, but the Canadian went up 40-love in the ensuing game. Arango then sent her backhand wide on Bouchard’s second match point.
Bouchard waved and blew kisses to the crowd after the win.
“I told my family that if I won, I would come out of retirement,” she said from centre court. “I felt like the old Genie out there.”
She’ll take on 17th seed Belinda Bencic of Switzerland in the second round.
Bouchard came out with flashes of her attacking style, pushing Arango out of position with a dangerous backhand before hitting a forehand winner to go up 1-0.
Arango took a 3-2 lead in the first set, converting her third breakpoint, but Bouchard instantly broke back to loud applause.
After holding serve to go up 5-4, the local favourite earned double breakpoint and hit a forehand winner down the line to take the set — and lift fans out of their seats for a standing ovation.
Her momentum, however, didn’t carry into the second set as Arango broke Bouchard three times to comfortably force a third.
Earlier Monday, Canada’s Kayla Cross and Ariana Arseneault dropped out of the NBO after the first round.
Cross let a one-set lead slip away in a 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 loss to Kamilla Rakhimova of Russia, and Arseneault of Richmond Hill, Ont., lost 6-4, 6-2 to Japan’s Naomi Osaka.
Carson Branstine, who grew up in California but represents Canada through family ties in Toronto, took on Greece’s Maria Sakkari in the final match of the night.
Toronto's Victoria Mboko, Bianca Andreescu of Mississauga, Ont., and Vancouver's Rebecca Marino advanced to the second round with wins Sunday.
Andreescu's status for the remainder of the tournament is unclear after she hurt her left ankle on match point against Czechia's Barbora Krejcikova.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 28, 2025.
Daniel Rainbird, The Canadian Press
