Bouchard brings star power to Classic
Tournament director Karl Budge has labelled next month’s women’s ASB Classic the deepest field he has assembled after beefing up the star power with the addition of Eugenie Bouchard.
Budge announced his lineup for the WTA Tour event in Auckland, which begins on New Year’s Eve, with former world No 5 Bouchard joining former top-ranked trio Venus Williams, Caroline Wozniacki and Victoria Azarenka, as well as defending champion Julia Goerges, who were already confirmed.
As one of the most marketable names in tennis, convincing Bouchard to return after first playing in Auckland as an 18-year-old wildcard in 2013 is a major coup.
The Canadian burst onto the global scene the following year when she reached the Wimbledon final on the back of semifinal appearances at the Australian Open and Roland Garros.
The 24-year-old has made more of an impact off the court and on social media over the past few years, struggles with form and injury seeing her fall out of the top 100 in January.
There have been signs of a change in fortune after a strong finish to 2018. Bouchard reached the quarterfinals in Birmingham, Gstaad and Taipei before making the final four in Luxembourg last month to move to 88 in the rankings.
And after chasing her for the past five years, Budge was relieved to finally entice her back to Auckland.
‘‘I know she’s pretty motivated to get back inside the world’s top 10,’’ said Budge. ‘‘She’s got a new coach, she’s having an extended training block in Miami and you’re starting to see that discipline that she had a couple of years ago return.
"When we’ve got the star power of three grand slam champions and three former world No 1s, when you can back that up with arguably one of the most marketable athletes on the planet it’s going to add even more depth and excitement to the Classic.
‘‘She graces the covers of every magazine on the planet, she’s an A-lister wherever she goes. She is a true global superstar and I’m sure there’s going to be a big queue to watch one of the biggest names floating around.’’
Bouchard heads to Auckland keen to maintain her momentum and continue her charge up the rankings.
‘‘I came there when I was very young and remember it being so beautiful. I’ll be focused and ready to go, but I hope to see a little more of Auckland this time around,’’ she said.