Roger Federer has made the tough call to hang up his racket and retire from tennis, signalling the end of an era, with his last outing coming at the upcoming Laver Cup.
The sporting world has been paying tribute to the great man, with an outpouring of respect for the 20-time Grand Slam champion.
From the likes of Rafael Nadal and Lionel Messi, there’s been no shortage of messages of respect, with more in the tennis world having their say, although Eugenie (Genie) Bouchard has gone one better with her tribute.
Eugenie Bouchard shoots to fame
Genie Bouchard is a name that most in the sporting world know, even if you’re not into tennis, she went viral on the internet after agreeing to go on a date with a fan.
As the Patriots were 28-3 down to the Atlanta Falcons, a fan of the losing side decided to ask for a date with Bouchard should an improbable comeback happen, which it did. She was a woman of her word and the two became friends.
For those familiar with tennis, she shot to fame in 2014 after reaching the Wimbledon final after reaching the last four in Grand Slams in Australia and France earlier that year. She was meant to be the next dominant force in the sport, but fell to the wayside a little.
LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 05: Eugenie Bouchard of Canada poses with the runner-up trophy after the Ladies' Singles final match against Petra Kvitova of Czech Republic on day twelve of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on July 5, 2014 in London, England. (Photo by Pool/Getty Images)
Genie Bouchard’s tribute to Roger Federer
Just a few years prior to her meteoric rise in 2014, Bouchard was a huge Federer fan like anyone else, and in light of his retirement, she has shared some of her old tweets.
She shared the screenshot with the hashtags ‘neverforget’ and ‘superfan’ and it’s safe to say she definitely was a super fan!
A range of tweets show us how much she adores the Swiss player and how big of a fan she was of his, cheering him on and being down when he lost.
View: Genie Bouchard’s old tweets on Roger Federer
Where is Genie Bouchard now?
After plummeting down the rankings and not winning a game on tour for 18 months after having shoulder surgery, the Canadian is back to winning ways, beating Joanne Zuger and Karman Kaur Thandi in straight sets at the Chennai Open.
She will take on Nadia Podoroska later today in the quarter-final as she closes in on a return to the winners circle eight years on from her only other triumph on tour.