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SPORTSCENTRE Reporter

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PARIS – Genie Bouchard talked the talk and then she walked the walk.

Bouchard called Maria Sharapova a “cheater” and said the Russian should be banned from tennis for the rest of her life after committing a doping violation. It was a strong condemnation of the five-time major champion who had just returned from a 15-month suspension.

Bouchard then went out and beat Sharapova in the second round of the Madrid Open earlier this month. After the win, Bouchard noted that many of her WTA Tour peers privately support her view, but are “scared” to speak out.

In professional sports these days, many athletes shy away from anything too controversial for fear of damaging their brand or creating a distraction or giving their opponents extra motivation. Not Bouchard.

“Honesty is the best policy,” she said with a smile. “I learned that when I was five years old. I just want to be true to myself. I want to be real. I don't like being one of those fake people. I don't see any reason to hide behind answers and have those boring press conferences that a lot of players do in every sport. I just answer honestly. I'm just real.” 

There are plenty of examples of Bouchard being candid. Last year at Roland Garros, Bouchard opened up about how the pressure created by strong early-career results slowly wore her down. She revealed that she was so nervous that often she couldn't eat before matches and lost weight, making her more susceptible to injuries. 

It's also clear that Bouchard isn't worried about rattling cages in the sport. She is currently suing the United States Tennis Association after slipping and falling in the locker room after a night match at the 2015 U.S. Open, suffering a concussion and withdrawing before her fourth round singles match. She hasn't been back to the round of 16 of a major since then. 

And Bouchard certainly isn't afraid to interact with fans on social media, as in the case of her well-publicized Super Bowl date. 

“I don't like to beat around the bush, you know, I just tackle a subject straight on,” Bouchard explained when asked about her outspoken nature. “I mean, there's nothing wrong with that, just be myself. That's how I am in real life so that's how I am with you guys [media]. I'm not trying to pretend to be someone else.”

Of course, the more you win the louder the microphone gets and Bouchard has struggled to steal the spotlight this season. She lost five straight tour-level matches after the Australian Open. She even went to an International Tennis Federation-level event to try and get her confidence back. 

But in Madrid, Bouchard started to get in a groove again. She beat Alize Cornet in the first round to set up a grudge match against Sharapova. In their first meeting since Bouchard's comments, the Canadian pulled out a three-set thriller, looking like the player who took the tour by storm in 2014.

“In Madrid I definitely felt like I was on a better level than I have been all year. I feel like I've found my game back a little bit,” Bouchard said. “I also feel stronger mentally on the court and that is the most important thing, you know, bringing back that fighter spirit that I've always had inside of me and just showing that the tennis has always been there. I just had to bring it out on the match court.”

Bouchard doesn't believe the emotions surrounding the Sharapova match sparked her level to rise.


"I've been working a long time," she said. "I wasn't having the results on the court, but I've been working day in, day out, even though I was losing in the first round a couple times in a row. So, for me, it's a long work in progress. It's not just magic powder you can spray on for a tournament. So, yeah, just a lot of soul searching, practising shots over and over again. There's no magic recipe. I just feel more confident and stronger mentally on the court."

Bouchard followed up the win over Sharapova in Madrid with a win over Angelique Kerber before bowing out to Svetlana Kuznetsova in the quarterfinals. Bouchard credits coach Thomas Högstedt, who once worked with Sharapova, for helping her maintain focus despite some tough times.

 “I think he's one of the best tennis coaches out there and he's just so believing in my skills and so positive and energetic that it's so motivating to go to practice. And what we do is very repetitive and boring and he makes it light and fun. You know, his belief in me makes me believe more in myself. I'm grateful to have him on my team.”

This year's French Open is wide open with Serena Williams (pregnant), Sharapova (ranking not good enough to qualify) and Victoria Azarenka (not quite ready to return from maternity leave) all absent. Simona Halep, who won Madrid and made the final in Rome, is nursing an ankle injury. 

There is an opening for someone to step up and make a run. Bouchard would be a candidate, but she is also dealing with an injury issue after sustaining a grade 2 ankle sprain in training last week.

“It is wide open and I think a lot of players have a really good chance at this year's event,” Bouchard said. “It's not something I've thought about too much because I've been rehabbing just to try to play the tournament. For me, it's

already a win. I'm going to play on Tuesday and stepping on the court will already just make me so happy.”