Even in the qualifying matches of the US Open, there will be drama.
In a battle between former top players Eugenie Bouchard and Dayana Yastremska, the latter defeated her Canadian counterpart in an act of revenge from a defeat at April’s Madrid Open.
After downing Bouchard 6-1, 4-6, 6-4, Yastremska went right to the chair umpire, then to her bench – all while glaring at the Canadian across from her and not offering a post-match handshake.
That most likely stems from that Madrid Open match – which saw Bouchard celebrate her win with a controversial post on social media.
In a post – which showed her victory – the Canadian tweeted, ‘There’s something about playing dopers in Madrid’.
Bouchard has struggled to find the form she had earlier in her career after a string of injuries
Bouchard eventually deleted that tweet, then sent out an apology. ‘I want to apologize for my tweet,’ she wrote at the time.
‘It was a lapse in judgment, and unnecessary. Though I’ve always championed fair play, I didn’t have all my facts in order and certainly didn’t mean to cause harm. I’m going to continue to work on myself going forward, both on and off the court.’
Yastremska – who was once ranked as high as No. 21 in the world – tested positive for mesterelone, an anabolic steroid, and was put on provisional suspension in January of 2021.
After she denied the allegations and a subsequent investigation, the ITF ruled that Yastremska ‘bore no fault or negligence’ for the positive test result and the ban was lifted.
The two players are at opposite ends of their careers – with the 23-year-old Yastremska just one win away from reaching the main draw of the US Open. She’ll need to beat Elena Gabriela Ruse to do so.
Meanwhile Bouchard, aged 29, has been dealing with a number of injuries – a clear fall from the highs of the sport she experienced when reaching the Wimbledon finals of 2014.
It’s her third qualifying round elimination this year and her fifth in a row. Bouchard hasn’t qualified for a Grand Slam singles event since the 2020 French Open.
