The latest prominent figure to sign up for pickleball is tennis player Eugenie Bouchard. In a joint Instagram post with the Professional Pickleball Association (PPA) Tour, the former Wimbledon finalist informed her 2.4 million fans of her choice.
Bouchard, who once held the 5th-highest ranking in tennis, made the choice to join the 2024 tour after another tennis player did the same. Jack Sock, a two-time Wimbledon doubles champion, said last week that he was giving up tennis entirely to play pickleball.
Fans will be interested to see if she decides to play pickleball full-time like Sock, given how popular the sport is becoming in North America. The sport is played with a paddle and a hollow ball on a court the same size as a doubles badminton court. Notable athletes who have invested in it include Tom Brady and LeBron James.
Eugenie Bouchard in 2023
Currently the world no.
215, the Canadian played her last match on the 24th of August when she lost to world no.110 Dayana Yastremska 6-1 4-6 6-4 in the qualifications of the U.S. Open (draw).At present, during this year Bouchard has managed to achieve a 10-10 record.