Eugenie Bouchard has dumped tennis for pickleball.
And upset followers of the “hottest tennis player ever” are up in arms at her shock determination, The Sun studies.
Pickleball chiefs are calling the ex-world No. 5’s change to their skilled circuit “one of the biggest signings of the year”.
But the 2014 Wimbledon finalist, 29, has confronted a volley of agonised feedback on-line.
Many of Bouchard’s 2.4 million Instagram followers bemoaned the “sad moment” – as she moved careers to what one fan referred to as “giant ping-pong”.
But others argued the Canadian’s fall down the tennis rankings to No. 215 means she shall be no nice loss to the extra conventional sport.
One observer had a refined swipe by posting: “Good luck to Genie. It’s ok for ex-tennis players to make a living in a less demanding sport.”
Another stated: “Man wow it really has gone downhill for Genie from WTA to pickleball.”
A 3rd groaned: “I just can’t get onboard the Pickleball train. I find it like watching giants on a mini tennis court. Not a fan.”
Bouchard hasn’t formally turned her again on tennis for good – however she’s signed to Pickleball from subsequent yr.
She follows ex-world No. 8 males’s tennis participant Jack Sock, who made the change in sports activities after the US Open.
And if Sock’s enchantment couldn’t be assured for Pickleball, it absolutely can now – after the addition of “one of the prettiest ladies on Earth”.
Bouchard’s announcement comes as Major League Pickleball (MLP) introduced its enlargement to Australia.
Pickleball is the fastest-growing sport within the US with over 36 million gamers, and the has high-profile group house owners together with Nick Kyrgios, Naomi Osaka, and LeBron James.
According to the MLP, the game is exploding in recognition in Australia with an estimated 25,000 Australians already enjoying.
Pacific Pickleball’s 33 elite native gamers throughout groups in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and the Gold Coast will now play beneath the brand new Major League Pickleball Australia banner.
MLP Australia will start on September 8 in Brisbane earlier than Melbourne and the Sydney occasions later within the yr, with near 1,000,000 {dollars} in money prizes over the subsequent yr.
– This article first appeared in The Sun and was republished with permission.
– with news.com.au
Source: www.news.com.au
