TORONTO — Canadian tennis pro Eugenie Bouchard said Wednesday she believes female players are treated differently than their male counterparts.
“People focus on other things besides our performance,” the 21-year-old said. “They definitely look at looks and things like that.”
In January, a post-match interviewer in Australia asked Bouchard to “give us a twirl and tell us about your outfit.” Bouchard, who had earlier tweeted a compliment about Serena Williams‘ outfit, obliged and later said she was not offended.
Last year, an on-court interviewer asked her which famous man she would like to date. Clearly embarrassed, she replied “Justin Bieber.”
Both incidents sparked cries of sexism on social media but Bouchard took them in stride. “It’s entertainment for the fans,” she told reporters later, when asked about the dating question. “It was just a fun question and I kind of played along.”
Taking part in a tennis clinic on a barge at Toronto’s lakeshore on Wednesday afternoon, Bouchard said female players have “come a long way.”
In an interview airing Thursday on The Roz & Mocha Show on Kiss 92.5, Bouchard said: “There’s nothing wrong if you can play tennis, be athletic, be sporty and look good and do other things. I shouldn’t have anything limiting me, whether it’s looks or anything else.”
The Montreal native, who will compete at next month’s Rogers Cup in Toronto, said the focus should remain on her skills.
“People should just respect what I do on the court,” said Bouchard, “and then whatever else I do, I should be entitled to do.”
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