Why Eugenie Bouchard is set to be the next tennis superstar

What does it take to be a star in the world of tennis? Success surely helps – wining grand slam after grand slam after grand slam has made Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Serena Williams the biggest drawcards in the sport today – but it’s not the only criteria. An endearing personality can also go a long way - Li Na was just another Chinese player until someone handed her a mic at the Australian Open a few years ago. Candid, funny and charming as she discussed tennis and her marital life, Li Na became a star even before she won her first major in Paris in 2011. Good looks and sex appeal certainly can get you there too – just ask Anna Kournikova. [caption id=“attachment_1352753” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Bouchard has the whole package: AP[/caption] The Russian never won a singles title in her injury-curtailed career but continues to remain one of the most searched athletes a decade after she played her last professional match. And tragedy and hardship in your personal life will also warm you to the fans. Monica Seles was far more popular in her post-stabbing days; Russian Alisa Kleybanova is a celebrity in her own right having made it back to tennis after fighting off cancer; and American teenager Victoria Duval’s brush with disaster in the 2010 Haiti earthquake stole the headlines in the first week of the US Open a few months ago. Four times a year, when the entire tennis universe congregates at the grand slams, new stars are discovered by the fans and the media – some shine bright for years while others flame out in a matter of months. From the looks of it, Canada’s Eugenie Bouchard belongs to the first category. All of 19, Bouchard seems to have the complete package – as former world no. 1 Yevgeny Kafelnikov himself tweeted – ‘It’s a lethal combination!!! She is very good looking and attractive, and she plays fantastic tennis! Genie Bouchard!!’ Exhibiting a calm composed demeanour and a self-assured, not cocky, attitude, Bouchard seems to be a marketer’s dream – and she’s one grand slam title away from the multi-million endorsements deals rolling in. While the Westmont, Quebec native has invaded the consciousness of the general public over the past few days, Bouchard is no stranger to hard-core tennis aficionados. In July 2012, she became the first Canadian to win a grand slam singles title, junior or pro, when she won the Wimbledon junior girls title. And in 2013, she climbed from no. 144 in the rankings to no. 32 - earning WTA Newcomer of the Year honours thanks to a runners-up finish in Osaka, semi-final appearances in Strasbourg and Quebec, reaching the quarter-finals in Charleston and Tokyo and scoring wins over former world no. 1s Ana Ivanovic and Jelena Jankovic. On Tuesday, it was Ivanovic who fell victim once again to the deadly groundstrokes of the Canadian teen. Bouchard’s three-set win over the Serb makes her the first player to reach the Australian Open semi-finals on debut in 23 years and only the second Canadian woman ever to reach a major semi-final. Yet, she did not fall over in disbelief or even act surprised at coming this far. Instead, she said it’s something she has been preparing for her whole life. “It’s something I’ve been doing since I was five years old and working my whole life for and sacrificing a lot of things for. So it’s not exactly a surprise. I always expect myself to do well. I’m just happy to have, you know, gone through this step. I’m not done. I have a match on Thursday. I’m just looking forward to that.” Bouchard next meets world no. 4 Li Na in Thursday’s semi-finals. Li Na, 12 years her senior, loves playing in Melbourne, has been to the finals here twice and is in a different league as compared to Ivanovic. Which will make this a much tougher match for Bouchard. But challenges do not deter the Canadian. Not content with how far she has come, Bouchard has her eyes set on wining her first slam. “I think I’ve worked hard in the off season. I really want to go deeper in draws. It’s my second time around now doing the full tour. I kind of know how it is, know what to expect. So I think I can keep improving and get better. But my ultimate goal is to win a Grand Slam. I’m always just working to try to achieve that.” Bouchard is very much a teenager of today’s times. She’s on Twitter and has her own Facebook page, she made a ‘Gangnam’ dance video with bestie Laura Robson last year, is a fan of Justin Bieber and can talk fashion too. (Speaking about her attire in Melbourne to a reporter, she responded, “It’s very fashiony. I don’t think you’d understand it. It’s high waisted. I tuck in the top. Just a different look.) Very soon, Bouchard will be part of that pop culture herself. Just as Martina Navratilova tweeted a few hours after her win on Tuesday - Eugenie Bouchard- a star is born!!