“I went through some similar things”: Eugenie Bouchard defends Anna Kournikova, calls out unfair hate and forgotten tennis success

Eugenie Bouchard did not stay quiet. This time, she spoke with heart. On a recent podcast, the former tennis star strongly defended her childhood idol, Anna Kournikova, from years of hate and unfair talk. Bouchard said Kournikova’s tennis work was real and deserved respect. She also said many people forget how good Anna Kournikova truly was on court.Bouchard, who retired from professional tennis earlier this year, made her final tennis appearance at the Canadian Open in front of home fans. But her sports journey is not over. She has now moved into pickleball and is already finding success. During her talk on the Pickleballers Podcast, the topic turned personal. Bouchard opened up about Kournikova, her first tennis hero, and why she feels the criticism against her was never fair. She made it clear. Talent matters. Results matter. And Anna Kournikova had both.

Eugenie Bouchard explains why Anna Kournikova deserved respect, not hate

Eugenie Bouchard shared how much Anna Kournikova meant to her growing up. She said she copied everything about her idol, from style to gear.“I say this to people and I say, I wanted to be just like her. I thought she was so cool and good and pretty. And I wanted to use the exact… My parents bought me Yonex jackets because that’s what she used,” Bouchard said.She then addressed the hate Kournikova still gets.“And people give her so much hate. I’m like, you get to eight in the world in your field and then come back and talk to me. She got to eight in the world in singles, semis of Wimbledon, multiple slams in doubles with Martina Hingis,” she said.Anna Kournikova reached No. 8 in singles, made the semifinals at Wimbledon, and won multiple Grand Slam doubles titles with Martina Hingis. Bouchard said those facts often get ignored because of Kournikova’s fame away from tennis.“And because she had this whole other side to her and was so marketable and famous… people focus on that and give her so much hate. And I’m literally her biggest defender,” Bouchard added. Eugenie Bouchard also said she sees her own story in Kournikova’s journey.“I met her once very quickly at Junior Wimbledon years ago. But I would really love to meet her and talk to her about her experiences because I feel like I went through some similar things as well,” she said.After tennis, Eugenie Bouchard has found new energy in pickleball. She has already reached the top 10 in singles rankings and continues to grow in the sport. Her past tennis success includes a career-high No. 5 ranking, a Wimbledon 2014 final, and semifinal runs at the Australian Open and the French Open.Also Read: Anna Kournikova vs Enrique Iglesias net worth in 2025: Tennis and music icon wealth compared