“You are playing the best game ever” – Jimmy Connors congratulates Eugenie Bouchard on her first win at the Chennai Open

On Monday, American tennis icon Jimmy Connors congratulated Eugenie Bouchard on her first victory at the ongoing Chennai Open.

Bouchard defeated the in-form Joanne Zuger of Switzerland in the Round of 32 at the tournament. This is her first main-draw win in 17 months.

Jimmy Connors took note of the breakthrough performance and congratulated Bouchard for it. He encouraged the 28-year-old to keep up the hard work while enjoying the competition.

“Nice work— Eugenie Bouchard — keep working and grinding— but more important- enjoy the competition— and you are playing the best game ever- have fun !!!!! J,” Connors tweeted.

Bouchard, a former Wimbledon finalist, underwent shoulder surgery in 2021, which saw her sidelined for a year and a half. She recently made her comeback at a Challenger event in Vancouver, but couldn’t score a win against Dutch player Arianne Hartono.

Shedding light on her days off the court, Bouchard said that she had faced some tough times which made her realize her love for the sport.

“I’ve just gained so much experience off the court. I’ve been through some really tough moments and it has really tested my patience. It made me realize how much I loved tennis,” she said.

The Canadian also remarked that it was a fresh start for her after the surgery.

“I was exhausted. It’s just that mental focus. To play in a match is different than practice. I've never had to come back from surgery before. I’ve never had such a big injury. For me, it’s really ground zero,” she noted.

The Canadian, who received a wildcard to contest in Chennai, entered the WTA 250 event on the back of a second-qualifier loss at the US Open.

Eugenie Bouchard advances to the second round at the Chennai Open

By dismissing Joanne Zuger 7-6(4), 6-2 in the first round in Chennai, Bouchard has set up a clash against Indian wildcard entrant Karman Kaur Thandi in the second round on Wednesday.

Karman Kaur Thandi, meanwhile, stunned eighth seed Chloe Paquet 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 in her first round.

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Eugenie Bouchard was briefly trained by Jimmy Connors

Eugenie Bouchard was trained by Jimmy Connors in 2015 during her stint at the US Open. The Canadian, who reached the semifinals of the Australian Open and the French Open and finished Wimbledon as the runner-up in 2014, witnessed a huge slump in her results the following year.

Jimmy Connors, a friend of Bouchard’s, decided to coach her on a temporary basis as she faced first-round losses at the French Open and Wimbledon in 2015. The assistance saw the former World No. 5 reach the fourth round at Flushing Meadows.