Eugenie Bouchard has apologized after she suggested two tennis rivals were “dopers” in an unprovoked tweet.
The 29-year-old defeated Dayana Yastremska 6-7, 6-2, 6-2 to book her spot in the round of 64 at the Madrid Open on Thursday.
Shortly after her victory the 285th-ranked Canadian took to social media with a controversial post.
“There’s something about playing dopers in Madrid,” she wrote in a shot at both Yastremska and her former rival Maria Sharapova.
Yastremska was handed a provision suspension back in 2021 after testing positive for mesterolone, an anabolic steroid.
Her ban was lifted in June 2021 after it was announced by the International Tennis Federation she “bore no fault or negligence” for the failed test.
Despite that ruling Bouchard still composed and hit send on the tweet after her victory over the Ukrainian.
The tweet also served as a shot at former world No. 1 Sharapova, who Bouchard defeated during the Madrid Open back in 2017.
The pair faced-off during the Round of 32 with Bouchard emerging victorious 7-5, 2-6, 6-4.
Bouchard was a vocal critic of the now-retired Russian who served a 15-month ban after using the heart drug meldonium.
In a follow-up tweet on Friday after losing in straight sets in the second round to Martina Trevisan, Bouchard apologized for her “unnecessary” attack.
Bouchard's deletion of yesterday's tweets and subsequent apology could be a result of the fact that, by accusing a player cleared from an ADRV of being a "doper," she possibly violated the WTA's Code of Conduct, Section XVII, 13ai(c): pic.twitter.com/msBgKsCP1G
— David Kane (@DKTNNS) April 28, 2023“I want to apologize for my tweet yesterday,” Bouchard wrote.
“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.”
David Kane, a producer for Tennis Channel, suggested that Bouchard could have faced punishment had she not retracted her statement.
Bouchard and Sharapova have endured a testy relationship for years, ignited by Bouchard’s claims that Sharapova was a “cheater.”
In a blistering attack at the time of Sharapova’s ban, the Canadian slammed her rival saying the ban wasn’t long enough while labelling her a “cheater”.
“I don’t think that’s right. She’s a cheater,” Bouchard told Turkey’s TRT World.
“I don’t think a cheater at any sport should be allowed to play that sport again. It’s so unfair to all the other players who do it the right way and are true. I think from the WTA it sends the wrong message to young kids: ‘Cheat and we’ll welcome you back with open arms.’ I don’t think that’s right, and definitely not someone I look up to anymore because it’s definitely ruined it for me a little bit.”
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