Tennis Player Genie Bouchard Defects To Pickleball, Set To Join Pro Tour In 2024

Pickleball continues to pull no punches in its conquest of the sports world and has now locked up tennis player Genie Bouchard.

The Professional Pickleball Association posted that Bouchard will join the Carvana PPA Tour in 2024.

The 29-year-old was once ranked as high as No. 5 in the world and made it to the Wimbledon Final in 2014. However, in recent years she has battled injuries and struggled to go the distance in any other majors, making it to the fourth round of a major twice since then.

She was eliminated in qualifying ahead of this year's US Open.

Oh well, maybe the sport of pickleball suits her game better.

I think for a long time pickelball was thought of as the red-headed stepchild of racquet sports. Sure, Bill Gates has played it for decades, but now it's really gaining some steam. If it continues poaching some talent away from the world of tennis that'd be big. It could make some of the powers that be start to sweat.

Much like a lot of players are at the US Open this year.

Bouchard is a big pickup for the Professional Pickleball Association Tour. However, the tour is not to be confused with Major League Pickleball. That's the league with big-name athletes like Tom Brady and LeBron James joining as owners. Some of the teams in the league are already valued at over $10 million.

The Canadian-born Bouchard will also bring her 2.4 million Instagram followers with her to the PPA Tour.

They're probably pumped about that too.

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