“…You knew one day I would be standing tall…Just look at me now.”
— Justin Bieber, Believe
As Eugenie Bouchard raised her fists to the air, the red and white clad “Genie Army” roared from the Rod Laver arena grandstand along with a nation watching in primetime back home.
Make no mistake: Bouchard’s win Monday night was a monumental moment for tennis in this country. In ousting Ana Ivanovic in three sets during her quarterfinal match at the Australian Open, the teenager from Westmount, QC becomes only the first Canadian female in 30 years to reach a Slam semifinal. Her performance is the latest in a year’s worth of the best collective homegrown tennis ever witnessed: Bouchard’s emergence, Milos Raonic’s appearance in the top 10, Vasek Pospisil’s late-season surge to the top 30, Felipe Peliwo’s reign as the world’s No. 1 junior, Daniel Nestor’s continued excellence in doubles, and 23-year-old Sharon Fichman’s first doubles title. There are plenty of reasons to be excited.
Frankly, Bouchard’s ceiling is higher than any of the names above. She has an all-around game that can adapt to all surfaces and isn’t reliant on one particular weapon in the way that Raonic is. And given the depth of legendary talent atop the men’s draw in contrast to the lighter women’s side, she has a stronger chance of reaching Top 5 status (and beyond) than any Canadian. Nobody else comes close.
But that’s not the point.
Take away Bouchard’s nationality and we would still be buzzing this morning about the gutsy 19-year old who reached her first Slam semis by beating the woman who beat Serena.
Last night’s match showed us everything Bouchard has been earning a reputation for in just over a year on the WTA Tour — the brash, punishing groundstrokes, the poise under pressure and affinity for big moments, and most of all her confidence in the face of proven, big-name talent.
Remember, Bouchard isn’t lucky to find herself in the semis. This isn’t the story of a kid riding a well-timed hot streak into the Final Four. Last night was no fluke.
For two years now, Bouchard has been one of the biggest up-and-coming female players in tennis. Before her full-time debut on the WTA in 2013, she was the world’s top-ranked junior and last year’s WTA Newcomer of the Year, ultimately finishing her first pro season as the highest-ranked teenager on Earth.
Against Ivanovic, Bouchard’s forceful two-handed backhand, court coverage and composure during points kept her in a match that for the first two hours could have gone either way. Despite nursing a reported sore hip, Ivanovic battled back from 4-2 in the second set. A 10-minute game brought the former world No. 1 within a game at 4-3, and ultimately 5-5. Bouchard fought back to reclaim the set 7-5 and never looked back; like a police raid at Justin Bieber’s house, she left it all on the table. By the third and final set, Bouchard took full control, her raw aggression during points balanced by an unwavering sense of calm between them.
Monday night’s match was a turning point in a young career full of them — the matchup against her idol Maria Sharapova at Centre Court of Roland Garros, the first time she beat Ivanovic last year at Wimbledon, dropping another former No. 1, Jelena Jankovic, a three-set battle with Serena Willams, and plenty others.
Scheduled to face fourth seed Li-Na in Thursday’s semifinal, Bouchard is in for a tougher challenge than last night. But she knows this is a moment she’s been preparing for practically her whole life. “I’ve been playing for 14 years now, and it’s always been my dream to be a professional tennis player so it’s not like I’m surprised to be here,” Bouchard told Sportsnet in December. “I know this is what I was meant to do.”
And right now, while in Canada we’re quick to claim our own, the entire world is watching her star rise with seemingly each service toss. Case in point: #GenieArmy was trending worldwide on Twitter Monday night, while Dallas Mavericks star and future NBA Hall of Famer Dirk Nowitzki expressed his support for Bouchard while live-tweeting the match. That, my friends, is the definition of big-time.
Let’s face it: Eugenie Bouchard is a missile headed straight for tennis stardom. And, like Slim Pickens at the end of Dr. Strangelove, there’s no choice but to get onboard and enjoy the ride.