MONTREAL – Ginny Bouchard extended his tennis career in at least one match on Monday, beating Emiliana Alango 6-4, 2-6, 6-2 in the first round of the National Bank Open.
Bouchard, who reached the Wimbledon Finals and two other Grand Slam semi-finals in 2014, announced this month that he will retire after making his final appearance in a tournament in his hometown.
She then opened it up with her first WTA Tour victory since 2023, and began to face the 300th time of her career – and 17-seeded Belinda Vensik.
Bouchard reached fifth in the 2014 rankings, but the 31-year-old has mostly switched to pickleballs and has been given a wild card to the Montreal Tournament in just one game this season.
After splitting the first two sets, Bouchard defeated 82nd place Arango twice (first on the forehand and then from a missed volley from Columbia) twice, building a 5-1 lead with a decisive third.
Arango made Bouchard 5-2 for the match and Bouchard 5-2, but the Canadians rose 40 love in the subsequent games. Alango then sent a big backhand at Bouchard’s second match point.
Bouchard kissed the crowd and blew them away after his victory.
“I told my family that if I won, I would get out of retirement,” she said from the center court. “I felt like the old genie out there.”
Emma Radcanu, who played just two days after losing in the semi-finals in Washington, defeated Elena Gabriella’s revenge 6-2, 6-4. Naomi Osaka has eliminated Ariana Arceneau 6-4, 6-2 in the first tournament since she announced she would no longer be working with manager Patrick Mouratoggle.