Former Wimbledon finalist Eugenie Bouchard is back in training on a tennis court after suffering from a shoulder injury in March.
In a video post on social media, the 27-year-old uploaded a clip of her hitting her first tennis ball in eight months, claiming “I hit a tennis ball,” before sinking to the floor in celebration.
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“The day has finally arrived,” read the caption. “I can’t believe it.”
We’re so happy to see you back on court @geniebouchard! 💪 pic.twitter.com/rM2CnbJgxw
— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) December 13, 2021
Injury woes in 2021
Since she made the Wimbledon final in 2014, the current World No 251 has been plagued by a string of injuries and bad form.
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This year was not much different.
The former World No 5 played just four tournaments in the 2021 season before a niggle on her right shoulder that she carried from last year flared up.
Among the events she played, she did manage to reach the final of the WTA 250 event in Guadalajara in March, where she lost 2-6, 5-7 to Spanish player Sara Sorribes Tormo in the final.
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Remarkably, it was in the first round of that same event, in a three-set match against American player Caroline Dolehide, when she injured her shoulder.
In June she decided to undergo surgery to give herself a better chance at recovering.
“Bad news to report. As some of you may know, I’ve been having pain in my right shoulder since last fall. This past March, I tore my subscapularis in my first round match in Guadalajara,” she wrote in a social media post after her surgery.
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“Since then, I have tried every form of conservative treatment and rehab known to man, to no avail. So last week, I pulled the trigger and had arthroscopic surgery.
“Doc says everything went great. I have a tough road of rehab ahead of me, but my spirits are high and I will work hard to get back to the job that I love.”
— Genie Bouchard (@geniebouchard) June 7, 2021
On Monday, after being out for eight months, she finally got back onto a tennis court.
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Since she made the Wimbledon final in 2014, the current World No 251 has been plagued by a string of injuries and bad form.