Abanda: ‘I will never get the same treatment’

Canadian Francoise Abanda says she’s experienced racism in tennis. But the 21-year-old from Montreal said her Twitter comments about discrimination on Wednesday weren’t aimed at fellow player Eugenie Bouchard.

“I don’t have a problem with her, and I respect all the things she’s achieved and I don’t want to bash Bouchard, she played amazing in Fed Cup, we got along really well,” Abanda said Wednesday from Slovakia after reaching the second round of the ITF Trnava tournament.

Responding to a Twitter user about the discrepancy in attention, Abanda posted Wednesday: “I will never get the same treatment because I am black. It’s the truth!” Abanda is currently the highest-ranked women’s tennis player in Canada at No. 128. Bouchard, a former No. 5, has seen a steep decline in her career since reaching the Wimbledon final in 2014 and is currently ranked 133rd. But she’s remained in the public eye partly because of her social media presence, endorsements and modelling sessions.