19 June 2024 , 10:14
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Eugenie Bouchard has lashed out at double standards in tennis, claiming she would have been "crucified" for saying she enjoyed the limelight ten years ago.
It comes as British Men's No. 1 Jack Draper recently admitted that he quite enjoys being in front of the camera, as he works on a side hustle of modelling away from the courts. In a British Vogue interview, the 22-year-old said: "I quite enjoy being in front of the camera - if I’m looking good, that is."
But Bouchard, who reached the final of Wimbledon in 2014, seemingly took some offence to the statement. Bouchard appeared to suggest that she would have been on the receiving end of criticism if she'd have said the same thing when she was at her peak.
Taking to X, the 30-year-old wrote: "If I had said this 10 years ago I would have been crucified," accompanied by a laughing emoji. Bouchard's short but sweet statement was met with agreement, with fans rushing to the comments section to give their take.
One wrote: "The double standard is real," while another said: "You still would be today!" A third went on: "Raducanu is still getting criticised, nothing has changed for women. Double standards still exists," while a fourth penned: "Fair point."
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Jack Draper said he quite enjoys the cameras (Getty Images for LTA)Draper's tennis career recently hit an all-time high, with the youngster surpassing Cameron Norrie to become British No. 1, largely thanks to a maiden ATP title at Stuttgart's Boss Open last week - beating Italy's Matteo Berrettini in a tense final. He is also ranked number 31 on the world stage, hoping to close in on Jannik Sinner as his career progresses.
Draper is currently in action at Queen's as he prepares for Wimbledon, where he will be hoping for a deep run. The Brit prodigy's current best showing at SW19 was the second round in 2022.
Bouchard, on the other hand, became the first Canadian born player to reach a Wimbledon singles final in 2014, when she was narrowly denied by Petra Kvitova. She would win the WTA singles title the very same year - her only title to date - after beating Karolina Pliskova in the final of the Nuremberg Cup in Germany.
She has struggled to hit the same heights in her tennis career since and is now ranked 552 in the world. Her last main draw appearance at Wimbledon came five years ago in 2019 when she failed to get past the first round.