Eugenie Bouchard takes sly dig at "doper" Maria Sharapova after Madrid Open 1R win
Eugenie Bouchard took a sly dig at Maria Sharapova following her victory over Dayana Yastremska at the 2023 Madrid Open on Wednesday.
Bouchard beat Sara Sorribes Tormo and Elizabeth Mandlik to qualify for the main draw of the WTA 1000 tournament. The Canadian then faced Dayana Yastremska in the opening round, where she came back from a set down to win 6-7(6), 6-2, 6-2.
A day after her win, Eugenie Bouchard shared an image of herself from Madrid on Twitter, with her caption reading:
"There's something about playing dopers in Madrid."
There’s something about playing dopers in Madrid… https://t.co/wGLDZdVBiB
Bouchard's post was in reference to a doping scandal Yastremska was involved in back in 2021. The Ukrainian was handed a provisional suspension after testing positive for a banned substance (mesterolone) in January. However, her suspension was lifted later that year after the ITF ruled that she bore no fault for the positive test.
Bouchard's tweet was also a thinly veiled shot at Maria Sharapova, who she faced at the 2017 Madrid Open. The Canadian won the match 7-5, 2-6, 6-4.
This was shortly after Sharapova returned to the WTA Tour, having served a 15-month doping ban. Bouchard had previously voiced her displeasure at the Russian being allowed to play, calling her a "cheater."
"I don’t think that’s right," Eugenie Bouchard had told Turkish broadcaster TRT World in 2017. "She is a cheater. So, to me, I don’t think a cheater in any sport should be allowed to play that sport again. It’s so unfair to all the other players who do it the right way and are true."
"So, I think from the WTA it sends the wrong message to young kids, 'Cheat and we'll welcome you back with open arms.' I don't think that's right and she's definitely not someone I can say I look up to anymore because it's definitely ruined it for me a little bit," the Canadian had added.
Interestingly, it was the only match Bouchard managed to win against Sharapova across five meetings on the WTA tour.
Eugenie Bouchard will face Martina Trevisan in the second round of the Madrid Open
Eugenie Bouchard's win over Dayana Yastremska takes her win-loss record for the 2023 season to 2-1.
The Canadian will next take on 18th seed Martina Trevisan in the second round of the Madrid Open. It will be the first meeting between the two in a main-draw match on the WTA tour.
They previously locked horns in the qualifying round of the 2020 Australian Open, with Trevisan winning 6-4, 6-3 to book her place in the main draw of the Melbourne Major.
The winner of the clash between Bouchard and Trevisan will take on either 15th seed Victoria Azarenka or Alycia Parks in the third round of the Madrid Open.