A new chapter for Eugenie Bouchard started on the wrong foot, as she waits to celebrate a blockbuster new deal after being dumped.
A new era for Eugenie Bouchard got off to a poor start as she lost her first round match at the Lyon Open on Wednesday (AEDT).
Belarusian Aliaksandra Sasnovich beat the Canadian in straight sets 7-6 (9-7) 6-2 in Bouchard’s second outing for the year, after she failed to get through qualifying for the Australian Open.
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This week Bouchard trumpeted a new sponsorship deal with apparel company New Balance, having been dumped by Nike after drifting into the tennis wilderness.
The 27-year-old burst onto the scene by making the semi-finals of the Australian Open and French Open in 2014, then qualified for the final of Wimbledon that same year. Once ranked as high as fifth in the world, Bouchard’s career fell of a cliff and she is now the world No. 143.
But her marketability has never waned and she boasts an enviable social media following, including more than 2.1 million Instagram followers, which is why she doesn’t have any trouble attracting sponsors.
She spruiked her New Balance deal on social media and is happy to start a new journey with the company, which will also give her exposure and input into the design process that goes into producing new outfits.
“I find them such a brand that really cares about the athletes and takes care of them,” Bouchard told Forbes.
“I feel like it was a good time for a change. At the end of the year my agent started talking to different brands and had a couple of options in the mix.
“New Balance was a frontrunner on what they could do for me and how they would use me in their brand.
“I have been on multiple calls already with some of their shoe team and they care.”
Bouchard knows better than most her online appeal can be a double edged sword. It has opened up a world of commercial opportunities for her but when the losses on court start to pile up, trolls have an easy target when suggesting she should spend less time applying filters to photos, and more time training.
But the tennis star always has the last laugh, using her popularity as leverage for both herself and those she does business with.
“I can’t pretend that (social media) is not a part of my life, I am very aware that I am in the public eye,” Bouchard told Forbes. “The first thing any company asks is how many followers I have on social media. It is definitely something on my mind every time (I post).
“I think it is a great tool. I love engaging with the fans and it can be so direct. It is a part of my life and I use it like I would anyway with my friends and sisters and a lot of people are going to see this and I can show them what I am doing behind the scenes.”
In 2018, it was reported Nike wasn’t paying Bouchard anything because she was on a performance and rankings-based contract, and her results weren’t delivering.
At Wimbledon in 2016 she was one of many players who wore Nike’s controversial “lingerie” dress, which was heavily criticised and branded “skimpy” by some commentators.
Last month Bouchard and her new boyfriend, NFL star Mason Rudolph, went Instagram official as they posted about their Valentine’s Day celebrations.
Bouchard has three siblings — including twin sister Beatrice — and the family was once described as Canada’s answer to the Kardashians. But in a bombshell interview earlier this year, influencer Beatrice revealed she barely sees Eugenie as she lifted the lid on their family split.
