Genie Bouchard's Path to Pickleball

Genie Bouchard’s path to pickleball started like many people’s: a tennis background and curiosity about the game’s explosive growth. In Genie’s case though, that tennis background happens to include a former #5 world ranking and a finals appearance at tennis’ biggest stage, Wimbledon. So how did Genie end up competing with the best pickleball players on the planet? Let’s dive in!

Genie’s tennis career

Genie grew up playing tennis from the age of 5, and at age 12 moved from Canada to Florida to train further. In 2014, she had a breakout year, making it to the semifinals of the Australian Open and French Open, and then doing something no Canadian had done before—reaching the Wimbledon singles final. That success shot her up to No. 5 in the world rankings. But, as is often the case in sports, things didn’t stay smooth. Injuries and some tough stretches on the court slowed her momentum, and her ranking took a hit. Even so, Genie stayed in the game and started branching out, trying her hand at broadcasting and modeling along the way.
Off the court, Genie’s life became almost as much of a story as her tennis. She built a huge following on social media, where she shares everything from her training routines to everyday moments. She’s been pretty open about the challenges of living in the spotlight while trying to keep her tennis career on track. Beyond that, she’s used her platform to give back, getting involved in charity work and promoting tennis to kids who might not otherwise have the chance to play. Even with the ups and downs, Genie remains a familiar face in the tennis world and continues to explore new opportunities, both in and out of sports.

Enter, Pickleball

In the midst of the “tour wars” of 2023 when both Major League Pickleball and the PPA Tour were scrambling to sign players to their rosters, the PPA Tour expanded its player pool by going after other racquet sports specialists like Jack Sock and Canadian tennis phenom, Genie Bouchard. While Jack had been known to play pickleball casually and was already pretty darn good, Genie had hardly played, and had to learn the rules of the game after signing on to the professional tour.

Untapped potential

With such a big star coming to the game that essentially was starting from scratch, the team at Versix felt like Genie’s journey was symbolic of the journey that players across the world experience, learning to play and improve at the game of pickleball. For Genie, that journey started at the PPA Tour Hyundai Masters in Palm Springs California where she dawned all-white attire and was promptly defeated and eliminated from singles, gender doubles, and mixed doubles on day 1. Memes of her performance highlighted her struggle to transition from tennis, but Genie was undeterred. Under the coaching of pickleball commentator and master strategist Dave Fleming, Genie got to work learning the mechanics and strategy of the game.

Everyone could see the potential in Genie’s athleticism and paddle skill, but she needed serious reps against the best to have a chance at taking home some wins. She battled through more tournament starts and started picking up traction initially in singles with wins against players like Lauren Stratman and Irina Tereschenko, but she’s started playing stronger in mixed and gender doubles with a few wins in professional matches recorded there as well. As Genie’s game progressed, so did development of her new signature paddle, the Vector, which both she and Versix Pro Blaine Hovenier wield on court. With a paddle crafted for her skillset and more reps under her belt, we are excited to see Genie’s progression through the end of 2024.

Moving forward

It’s clear that Genie isn’t just a pickleball player, a tennis player, a model, a social media powerhouse, and a commentator; she’s all of those. Like most people, she has a variety of interests and skills that make her the person she is on and off court. We’ll certainly see her continue to compete with the best on the PPA Tour for the rest of 2024, and the team at Versix will be there by her side the whole way.