Eugenie Bouchard, who emerged on the Grand Slam tennis scene over a decade ago, is building a new career in sports broadcasting. The recently retired Canadian tennis player has been actively engaged in media opportunities in a year she anticipated would be more settled.
Bouchard, 32, described her involvement in this "new wave" of broadcasters as exciting, expressing a desire to make tennis more engaging and popular, particularly for younger audiences. She has made appearances on various networks, including Tennis Channel, TNT during the French Open, and the BBC for Wimbledon coverage. This fall, she is set to join ESPN as an analyst for the 2026 U.S. Open, an opportunity she called a long-standing goal and a validating experience as she navigates the next phase of her career.
"Being a part of this kind of new wave has been exciting, and I just hope we can make tennis fun and young — and just keep it and make it as popular as ever basically," Bouchard stated in a recent interview. She aims to be a relatable and authentic media personality.
Beyond her professional pursuits, Bouchard is also dedicating time to her personal life, which she previously had to neglect during her demanding tennis career that began at age 15. She is visiting family more frequently in Montreal and traveling for leisure, activities she found difficult to prioritize while competing. "Being able to actually go on vacation is such a luxury," she noted, adding that traveling used to be solely associated with tennis tournaments.
Bouchard, who retired in July 2025 after her final match at the National Bank Open in Montreal, reached a career-high ranking of No. 5 in 2014, notably reaching the Wimbledon final and the semifinals of the Australian Open and Roland Garros.
She has found that her broadcasting work, which often involves sharing personal insights and humor, resonates with audiences. Bouchard acknowledges a trend in sports media toward incorporating recently retired athletes who can offer fresh perspectives. "I think maybe they sense that it’s important to get some more recently retired players, to get the kind of younger, fresher voices," she said, mentioning Andy Roddick as another example of a popular emerging voice.
"We love and respect all the previous generations, and I’ve been lucky to work with some of them. I know Chris Evert really well. I worked with John McEnroe at the French Open. Like, I love everyone, but I think there’s something exciting about the younger players who played these players and who have played them very recently," Bouchard explained. She views her role in this shift as an honor.
Bouchard is still adapting to her post-retirement life, embracing new opportunities with an open mind. "My thought process is like everything deserves a chance once," she said. She has found that her relevance has not diminished, noting that she is now involved in brand partnerships that are even more significant than those she had during her playing career.
Her current schedule involves frequent travel for events, photo shoots, and television appearances, though she has also found enjoyment in the stability of a more regular routine, which she feels has been beneficial for her mental health. "The feeling of having a bit more of a normal job, a normal routine, the stability, like all that kind of stuff – it’s been good for my mental health in a sense," she remarked. Despite this, she is scheduled for two weeks off after the U.S. Open, during which she plans to have her wisdom teeth removed.