Eugenie Bouchard, once a rising star in professional tennis, saw her promising career trajectory dramatically altered following a significant incident at the 2015 US Open, culminating in a landmark lawsuit against the tournament organizers.
The pivotal moment occurred when Bouchard, then enjoying a resurgence in form, slipped on a recently cleaned, tiled floor in a trainers’ room, sustaining a concussion and reportedly experiencing a severe burning sensation from chemical cleaning agents on her skin.
Forced to withdraw from the tournament where she had advanced to the second week in singles and was active in doubles draws, Bouchard subsequently initiated legal proceedings against the United States Tennis Association (USTA), seeking damages for her injuries and career disruption.
During the trial in New York, Bouchard vividly recounted hitting the floor flat on her back after losing her footing, testifying to the immediate pain and the burning sensation, while the USTA’s defense argued she should not have entered the room unsupervised.
The legal battle concluded in 2018 with a verdict that found the USTA primarily responsible, assigning 75 percent of the blame to the organization and 25 percent to Bouchard, thereby obligating the tennis body to pay a significant portion of the determined damages.
Her legal team pursued millions in lost earnings, arguing that the injuries and subsequent career setbacks directly stemmed from the incident, as Bouchard’s ranking steadily declined outside the top 100 by the time the protracted case concluded.
Despite the legal and physical challenges, Bouchard demonstrated resilience, showing glimpses of her best form later in 2018 by qualifying for the US Open and securing her first main draw win there since her unfortunate fall, followed by a semi-final appearance in Luxembourg.
Her journey continued with a maiden doubles title win in Auckland in 2019, yet she persistently grappled with inconsistent form and recurring injuries, preventing a sustained return to her peak performance levels in professional tennis.
Ultimately, earlier this month, the 31-year-old transitioned away from competitive tennis, making headlines with her foray into the professional pickleball tour, signaling a new chapter after her final professional tennis match at the Canadian Open.
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