Genie Bouchard extends career with opening-round win in Montreal

MONTREAL (AP) — Genie Bouchard extended her tennis career for at least one more match Monday, beating Emiliana Arango 6-4, 2-6, 6-2 in the first round of the National Bank Open.

Bouchard, who reached the Wimbledon final and two other Grand Slam semifinals in 2014, announced this month that she would retire after a final appearance in her hometown tournament.

She then opened it with her first WTA Tour victory since 2023 — and the 300th of her career — and advanced to face No. 17 seed Belinda Bencic.

Bouchard reached No. 5 in the rankings in 2014 but the 31-year-old has largely switched to pickleball, playing just one match this season before being given a wild card into the Montreal tournament.

After splitting the first two sets, Bouchard broke the 82nd-ranked Arango twice — first with a forehand, then from the Colombian’s missed volley — to build a 5-1 lead in the decisive third.

Arango broke back with Bouchard serving for the match to make it 5-2, but the Canadian went up 40-love in the ensuing game. Arango then sent her backhand wide on Bouchard’s second match point.

Bouchard waved and blew kisses to the crowd after the win.

“I told my family that if I won, I would come out of retirement,” she said from center court. “I felt like the old Genie out there.”

Emma Raducanu, playing just two days after losing in the semifinals in Washington, beat Elena-Gabriela Ruse 6-2, 6-4. Naomi Osaka, in her first tournament since announcing she would no longer work with coach Patrick Mouratoglou, eliminated Ariana Arseneault 6-4, 6-2.

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AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis