Eugenie Bouchard is determined to enjoy every second of her farewell appearance at the Canadian Open.
Bouchard is calling time on her playing career once she exits her home tournament.
The 31-year-old, who reached a career-high of number five in 2014, has not featured on the WTA Tour since losing to Moyuka Uchijima in qualifying for last year's Canadian Open. Her last main-draw match was in 2023.
But having received entry this time around as a wild card, Bouchard delighted the crowd in Montreal with a 6-4 2-6 6-2 win over Emiliana Arango.
"It was electric out there. I had so much fun. I'm so proud of how I competed and stayed focused throughout the whole match and fought," said Bouchard.
"It was a physical battle, a mental battle, and it just felt amazing to play in Montreal in front of everyone.
"I didn't know what to expect.
"You know, I woke up this morning just telling myself, Look, I can't control the result. I just want to have a good attitude, have good fight, and try feel good with my shots, feel good with my game.
"No matter what happens, I wanted to walk off the court having enjoyed that kind of gritty battle, and it definitely turned into one of those battles.
"I enjoyed every second of it. I guess not really what I expected. I didn't know what to expect, but a happy result."
Bouchard's win brought up a milestone – her 300th career victory.
Next up is Belinda Bencic, who Bouchard has failed to beat in three previous meetings.
