Eugenie Bouchard has revealed she is inspired by recent training sessions with Andre Agassi. The Canadian, who has struggled for form in the last couple of years, is seeking inspiration to return her to the heights of 2013 when she reached three Grand Slam semi-finals and one final.
Bouchard honored to hit with former great
While she was out in Las Vegas, the Canadian was on the same court as the eight-time major winner and they began practicing together, this ahead of an exhibition match she played against Venus Williams in Atlanta.
Speaking to sportsnet.ca, Bouchard said that she felt "very lucky and grateful and honored" to have Agassi on the court and allow her to "get a bit of insight in his brain."
Once in the top five, Bouchard has fallen to 69 in the world and stated that Agassi's fall - he was once all the way down to 141 - and subsequent rise back up to number one in the world, gives her hope.
"I just think that is so impressive", said the 23-year-old, who recognised that "there are some similarities" between Agassi and herself as she "was at a higher ranking than [she is] now, and [has] dropped."
She stated that a comeback such as Agassi's "gives you inspiration, that you can do it", adding that as long as "you do the work, you can still perform at that level and come back."
Canadian working to improve her game and ranking
After losing in the first round of all of her grass court events, the 23-year old is concentrating on the summer hard court season, in which she plans to play in Toronto, Cincinnati and the U.S. Open.
She said that she has been "working a lot in the gym and on the court as well" since Wimbledon, adding that she is now hoping "to take some small steps in the right direction with these next tournaments coming up."