Bouchard reacts to French Open wild card opportunity

Struggling with injuries and not playing to her fullest potential caused Eugenie Bouchard to fall off the map for a couple of years. Once a former world No. 5, Bouchard grappled to remain in the Top 200 for most of 2019, but after a superb week in Istanbul, she seems to be turning things around.

The Canadian came through qualifying to win six consecutive matches, before falling in the Istanbul's final to world No. 58 Patricia Maria Tig in a rollercoaster three-set battle. Although Bouchard didn't lift up the winner's trophy, her work over the six-month hiatus didn't go unnoticed.

The 2014 Roland Garros semifinalist was given a wild card into the upcoming French Open main draw.

The 26-year-old currently sits at No. 167 in the rankings, but six years ago she was consistently reaching the deeper rounds at major events. Bouchard defeated Grand Slam champions Angelique Kerber and Simona Halep on her way to the 2014 Wimbledon final.

When she's in a positive mindset, Bouchard is a strong competitor. This past week in Istanbul reveals she still has the mental toughness to get past the challenging three set bouts.

Bouchard's last major appearance was at this year's Australian Open where she reached the last round of qualifying, but fell short to Italy's Martina Trevisan.

She will have just over a week to prepare for the major clay court event in Paris, which is set to begin on September 27.

Check out Bouchard's episode of the TENNIS.com Podcast:

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