Eugenie Bouchard: How her social media presence are fuelling her success and some hate
Eugenie Bouchard has spoken about how being subject to online hate affected her when she was coming up on the WTA Tour. Bouchard's breakthrough came in 2013, when she reached fifth in the world rankings and the 2014 Wimbledon final.
Unsurprisingly, her meteoric rise and sometimes off-the-cuff comments made her a much talked about figure, who faced lots of social media scrutiny.
According to Sportskeeda, Bouchard said: "Back in the day, you really had to do only tennis or else you would get hate, and then I think the pendulum has swung so far the other way these days, which is a positive because now, it's actually like, 'Oh if you don't have your own skincare line and you don't have a foundation line, what are you doing?'"
Want to see more like this? Follow us here for daily sports news, profiles and analysis!
"So, I think it's great that players nowadays can not only play tennis and do a bunch of other stuff and not get the hate for it that I experienced."
Recently, the Canadian tennis star made some controversial statements about female tennis clothing, claiming: "We wear short skirts. We wear sleeveless shirts. It's fun to turn on the television and watch that."
The Canadian tennis player argues that attractive sportswear attracts a large audience. She developed her argument during an interview on 'Not Alone', where she explained her point of view.
The Canadian tennis player might not be in the top 10 rankings, but she voices her opinions like no other! She is currently ranked 565th in the WTA rankings.
"Tennis is, above all, a great sport for physical attractiveness," she added during a public event.
Bouchard also revealed the multiple offers she would receive, referring to them as "off-the-track marketing offers", like appearing in the 'Sports Illustrated Swimming' special.
"It's definitely part of who I am and I think it's great. Tennis is the only thing I know but it can't be the only thing I do in my life," says the 30-year-old tennis player.
Want to see more like this? Follow us here for daily sports news, profiles and analysis!
Injuries have not been easy for Bouchard. Recurring injuries forced the Canadian tennis player to seek alternative sources of income.
"Why keep myself in a box? Why not try to grow or improve, transcend tennis, or explore other fields?" she comments.
Genie Bouchard has identified a method to the madness and doesn't need to depend on tennis entirely. Her physical attractiveness, enhanced with her media publications, helps her monetize her social media platforms as much as possible.
"It increases my fan base, my audience, and that, in turn, helps me get better offers and sponsorships. And this is not only good for me, but for tennis in general, for women's tennis and for other women's sports ", she assures emphatically.
Photo: Instagram - @geniebouchard
A simple example is the video of Genie Bouchard collecting leaves from her garden in a bikini. Simple but effective. She went viral alongside Sam Querry, who mocked a parody of her clip - well played.
Photo: Instagram - @geniebouchard
Want to see more like this? Follow us here for daily sports news, profiles and analysis!