MUBADALA CITI DC OPEN

July 21, 2025

Eugenie Bouchard

Clervie Ngounoue

Press Conference

BAPTISTE-V.WILLIAMS/Bouchard-Ngounoue

6-3, 6-1

THE MODERATOR: Genie, Clervie, your thoughts on the match today and playing together as a team.

CLERVIE NGOUNOUE: Yeah, no, playing with Genie obviously for the first time was really fun. It wasn't my first time playing doubles here, but first doubles match in a while, and I think it was a really great opportunity. I was really thankful for the wildcard. Yeah.

EUGENIE BOUCHARD: Yeah, shoutout to Mark Ein.

I love D.C., so I was just happy to be here and play doubles with Clervie. It was my first time with her. She's a very chill doubles partner, so it was very enjoyable to play with someone who's relaxed on the court.

I feel like I didn't really play that well, but it was helpful to get out there and shake the rust off a little bit (smiling).

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. What is it like to be part of this sort of growing Washington, D.C., crew? Hailey obviously out there on court, Robin, Frances, all these other players. What's it like to be part of the sort of growing legacy or trend of players local in this area, which we didn't have in previous generations like this.

CLERVIE NGOUNOUE: Yeah, to be a part of that group with Frances, Hailey, and Robin, it's a different kind of special, because we are coming from, we are all from D.C., and it's a smaller group, so it kind of feels like the weight is on our shoulders.

But I feel like to grow up with them and go through similar experiences in tournaments, knowing that Frances started, going through them, it's nice to know, nice to share that with them. We are all very familiar with each other, so it makes it a lot easier to carry.

Q. I have a question for each. Eugenie, to start with you, what was the choice to finally say you're stepping away from tennis and you're retiring? Because I feel like some people thought you might want to come back after playing Newport.

CLERVIE NGOUNOUE: I tried getting her to come back after this one.

EUGENIE BOUCHARD: What was the last part of your question?

Q. I feel people thought you might want to come back after playing Newport.

EUGENIE BOUCHARD: Why, because I played so well there or something? (Laughter.)

Well, look, I obviously started doing the pickleball stuff about a year and a half ago, so that already had me playing a lot less tennis.

Yeah, I think all good things come to an end. I love tennis. I'll always love tennis. I will stay involved in tennis. But it just takes so much dedication, sacrifice, and, you know, dedicating your entire life to have a chance to make it. That's something I have done my whole life thus far. For me, at a certain point, that's just not worth it anymore. So I'm kind of at that stage.

You're years away from that, so don't even get any ideas.

But, yeah, I'm happy.

Q. Clervie, yes, you are just at the beginning of your career. What I actually wanted to talk about was your hair, because hair alpha is working today, and you have always been a player who has a look and you really do stand out on court. Is that a conscious decision? Have you just always loved different colors? I love everything about it.

CLERVIE NGOUNOUE: Thank you. Yeah, people have asked me if I coordinate my outfits with Nike, or my hair with Nike. A lot of times I don't. I just choose a hair color and go for it. I ask my mom, What do you think we should do next?

Yeah, I guess it was a mutual thing between us because she does my hair, where we were like, Okay, let's start changing it up.

I don't get my nails done as often, so that was kind of my luxury. My mom could do my hair, and we started changing colors.

I'm a big believer in you make your brand whatever you are before you go big so that they know you were always like that. I'm that kind of person, because I know that life is bigger than tennis. So that's just kind of, that's how I think of it.

Q. Genie, when you go on the court this afternoon, you want to win the match, but I'm curious, the setting, given who was on the other side of the net, you appreciate what you were a part of. From your career, having crossed paths with Venus over the years, what you make of her return in these parts?

EUGENIE BOUCHARD: Yeah, I was actually so excited we were playing against Venus. I remember first playing her, gosh, 12 years ago at this point. To play against her one last time is fun and special.

I ran into her actually in the hotel yesterday, and we were just catching up a little bit, and she was like, Okay, last one coming up.

I was, like, Yeah, kudos to you to keep kicking it.

She's 14 years older than me and still plugging away. I have nothing but respect for her. She's such a legend. That was a pretty cool crowd for a doubles match. I haven't actually played in front of a crowd like that. Pickleball, I know it's hard to believe, but we don't have spectators like that at our matches.

I actually feel this was helpful for next week in Montreal just to get used to the tennis situation, being at a tournament again, practice courts, player, locker room. All that stuff has just been a little out of my mind recently. So to play on a big court like that with a good crowd, even if it was doubles, such a great experience for me.

Q. Can you take us through some of your happiest memories through tennis and if you have any regrets?

EUGENIE BOUCHARD: Yeah. So many. Playing in the Olympics comes to mind. That was really a special experience for me. Looking back, I can't believe I almost didn't play, because at the time it was the whole Zika thing. Was very glad I pushed through and played because I would have regretted it.

Any match I ever won was a positive moment. Playing in really cool places, like in Rome on the statue court, you know, huge crowd. Playing in front of the crowd has always been, you know, really special and interacting with fans after matches. I always take the time to do that and appreciate them, because they give us a job. I think they appreciate that from me too.

Q. Regrets?

EUGENIE BOUCHARD: Oh, many (smiling). I mean, gosh, I can't even, like -- I'm going to include all of this in my book, so don't worry about it. Hard to recall specific moments right now.

I would say, like, at times when I took a little bit of time, I don't know, I would say playing a few more events, going down to play maybe smaller events to get matches, at times when I just wasn't winning at the higher levels, I did do that occasionally, but maybe doing that a little more, I don't think there is anything wrong with that.

Probably, like, shouldn't have worked with some coaches. I won't name names (smiling).

Q. Obviously you had a long career and a career that was in the spotlight a lot from a very young age. How do you look back on this whole ride? You were someone who won a lot, got a lot of attention, positive, negative, so what was it like as an experience to go through now and be able to look back, now that it's almost entirely behind with you, with some clarity about everything that you went through and all sorts of ups and downs?

EUGENIE BOUCHARD: I think with a little bit more time, once I'm really done, I'll be able to process more and really reflect on my career. I haven't done that thus far.

Yeah, I feel like I kind of did the whole spectrum of positive, negative, good results, bad results, and I guess that's what life is too, right? So tennis was a little kind of sample of what real life is.

I mean, players are playing longer too. I know you said I had a long career, but I see some of these girls out here, and I'm, like, You guys, good for you, I don't know how you're still doing this.

Yeah, I don't know. I just think unbelievable experience in my life. I'll take so much from it. It's given me so much. It's also really, really hard. You know, we push ourselves through physical pain every single day, and that is something I kind of just don't want to do anymore, you know.

It is hard out there. So I think also with playing less tournaments recently and doing the pickleball stuff, I have more appreciation for actually how hard tennis is. When you're in it, it's all you know, and so taking a step back and then coming back into it, where everything hurts after every practice, it's, like, I look at everyone here and I'm just so much respect for everyone, because this is an extremely difficult sport.

Q. What do you think Montreal is going to be like for you?

EUGENIE BOUCHARD: You know, when I announced, right before I announced it, I was kind of stressed about this whole situation and had this thought of, oh, I just want to fast-track until August and put it all behind me, and then I got such an outpouring of support and so many people reached out to me, and I saw so much positivity out in the universe.

I was, like, okay, wait, let me embrace this time. It's such a unique time in my life and something I have never done before and will never do again, really, unless I retire from my normal office job in 40 years.

So I'm, like, you know what? I'm actually excited. First I was quite stressed about the whole ordeal, and then seeing the love I got, feeling so supported and appreciated made me feel so excited. So I'm looking forward to it. I want to make it like a celebration, not a funeral and see everybody.

Even just being here in D.C. feels like a high school reunion to me. I went to the player party last night, and I was hugging everybody and saying hi to everybody. I also haven't played a tournament in a year, so I haven't seen people in a while.

So I want it to be like that next week too and soak up every moment of love and tennis and the hard stuff on the court, the amazing stuff off the court. You know, just really, sounds cliché, but really just appreciate it so much.