Genie Bouchard Addresses Perfectionism, Balance As an Athlete

The Canadian professional tennis player has an impressive work ethic, but she’s working toward finding a better balance between hard work and relaxation.

Genie Bouchard / Taya Gray/The Desert Sun / USA TODAY NETWORK

As a professional tennis player, Canadian Genie Bouchard has dedicated all of her adult life to improving on the court. At the age of 16, she made her first appearance on the WTA circuit, the women’s professional tennis tour. In the years 14 years since, she has notched one win on the tour, reached a career high of No. 5 in the rankings and earned $6,909,104 in prize money.

But with that sort of success comes a lot of pressure—external and self-imposed, too. It’s what Bouchard would refer to as a case of “perfectionism,” as she said in an interview with Linda Marigliano on her podcast, Tough Love.

When she receives compliments on her performance from friends, her immediate reaction is to ask for feedback. “It’s hard for me to accept compliments,” Bouchard explained. “It’s almost like I would rather the criticism as opposed to the compliments.”

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She “thrive[s]” on improving. So, Bouchard’s instinct is always to look for ways to do so. “I’m used to [constructive feedback] with, you know, coaching throughout the years.” And the compliments? She “disregard[s] them.”

The two-time SI Swimsuit model’s perfectionism is rooted in an admirable worth ethic. As Bouchard put it, “It’s more interesting to try to become better than to stay stagnant.” But, as a result, she finds it difficult to relax—it feels like “a waste of time.”

It’s a trait that has gotten her far in her career, but likewise one that she’s trying to work through—to find, after all, better balance.