Eugenie Bouchard Says Qualifying for Slams Has Been a Humbling Experience
Tennis - Former World No. 5 Eugenie Bouchard says going back to the qualifying draws and the ITF circuit has humbled her but she is happy to be back in the Top 100 and hopes she does not ever have to qualify for a Grand Slam again. Bouchard was speaking in Auckland where she has arrived to play the ASB Classic.
Reflecting on her 2018 season in an interview to Stuff, Bouchard says, "Very tough, very up and down. I feel like I got better as the year went on and I ended the year well. So I'm very happy with my new coach Mike (Joyce), we've worked hard in the off season, it wasn't perfect, it's always a bit up and down. But I feel like I had a couple of good practice matches last week and sooner rather than later I'll get some good results. I had to go through a lot of tough times this past year. I had to qualify for two grand slams, I'd never been in that position before so it really humbled me and showed me that the road back is really tough. But I was able to get through it and that gave me the confidence to be able to win back to back matches and get myself back in the top 100, which is where I feel like I belong and hopefully I can go much higher."
Bouchard admitted that playing the qualifying draws did seem awkward for her as she did not have to do the same in the initial years of her career due to her rapid rise in the rankings. "As soon as I was a pro in 2013, when I played here (Auckland) for the first time, it was my first year of being a professional and I won matches in grand slams in the main draw right away. I skipped the whole qualifying phase because I accelerated through the professional ranks so quickly. So it's like maybe I missed some steps and now it's time to redo those steps. But I did them, I've done my fair share and now I never want to have to qualify for a grand slam again. I feel like the end of 2018 was a little bit of a turning point. I'm really excited to play, I'm really motivated. That's something I've struggled with in the past, motivation. I'm super happy to be here, even though I missed Christmas with my family, I know I'm here for work and doing what I want to do."
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from Tennis World USA http://bit.ly/2rXwsaE
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