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"If someone calls you and is like, 'Hey, do you want to be in Vogue, yes or no?' What are you going to do, say no? And tennis brought me that opportunity, so it’s like, of course, I'm a tennis player first and foremost, but it opened other doors."

Eugenie Bouchard joins the show this week (interview begins at 8:28) and discusses juggling her playing career, her online presence and the off-court opportunities that have come her way.

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After a successful season of World TeamTennis in West Virginia, Bouchard won her opening round in Prague on Monday over world No. 40 Veronika Kudermetova. It marked her first WTA victory since January and it's a winning performance she's been patiently working toward.

TENNIS.com Podcast: Bouchard on making the most of her opportunities

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Bouchard is back in WTA action this week in Prague thanks to a wild card. (Getty)

The Canadian spent the long shutdown in Las Vegas training with esteemed fitness coach Gill Reyes as well as living legends Andre Agassi and Steffi Graff. Though she's currently ranked No. 330, Bouchard is undeterred in her mission to keep improving at a job she's grateful to have.

"You don't wake up loving it every single day and like, oh my God, I'm so excited to do side-to-side drills today, I love it," the 26-year-old says. "But as I've gotten older it sounds corny but I just appreciate it so much more. It's such a cool job. It's so unique."

Once ranked as high as No. 5 in the world, Bouchard has been through a lot of ups and downs—including a 13-match losing streak in 2019—but her love and dedication for the game has never dimmed and it certainly shows in her willingness to compete hard anywhere, from an ITF W60 first round to the Wimbledon final.

Since bursting onto the scene in 2014, Bouchard has picked up a huge fan base and learned a lot about herself while maturing in the public eye and tuning out the haters, particularly online. One of her tweets, a bet with a fan about the 2017 Super Bowl, is being turned into a movie that she's helping produce. She explains the details of the film, shares what her relationship status is with the fan (John Goehrke) and defends her choice to enjoy her life off the court to the absolute fullest.

The views, information, and/or opinions expressed are solely those of the podcast creators and do not necessarily represent those of The Tennis Channel, Inc., its affiliates or subsidiaries.

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