Eugenie Bouchard’s fight against her post-concussion symptoms appears to be continuing following remarks she made after the Malaysian Open final.
Bouchard reached the final in Kuala Lumpur without dropping a set. The Canadian, who was aiming to clinch her first WTA title since 2014, was edged out during a rain-interrupted final that lasted three minutes shy of three hours. During the second set she requested a medical time-out due to dizziness. She later revealed in her press conference that she was advised to retire.
“I felt concussion-like symptoms and I was struggling with my energy levels towards the end,” The Star Malaysia quoted Bouchard as saying after the final.
“The medical staff also strongly advised me not to continue during the second set, but there was no way I was going to retire in a final.
“I think I gave it my all and I fought well. Now I just need to go on to my next tournament and do well there.”
The Canadian also encountered problems during her quarterfinal win over Çağla Büyükakçay. In the second set she complained of dizziness and requested medical assistance to the court.
The former Wimbledon finalist has struggled with concussion symptoms since her accident during the US Open. After playing a match, Bouchard entered the dark players’ locker room where she slipped and banged the back of her head. The incident ended Bouchard’s 2015 season after her attempted comeback at the Beijing Open concluded with her retiring in the second set due to concussion symptoms.
The 2016 comeback by Bouchard has been fairly impressive with the Canadian already reaching two WTA Finals. Speaking about her struggles in January, the 22-year-old stated that her priority is staying healthy.
“At the beginning, before playing my first match in 2016, I said I have no expectations for now. Even if I’ve had two good weeks, I say the same thing,” Bouchard said.
“I still have no expectations. The first thing is to be healthy, and after that I’ll give everything I have, but I have no idea what will happen. I know it will take a long time for me to be back playing my best.”
Next up for Bouchard will be the BNP Paribas Masters in Indian Wells. She will be bidding to reach the fourth round of the tournament for the third consecutive year.
