Eugenie Bouchard opens up about menstrual health challenges faced by WTA players

Eugenie Bouchard spoke about the reality that WTA players face regarding their menstrual health. The former world No. 5 participated in the NotAlone podcast and discussed the challenges of women's tennis.

Women’s tennis has attempted over the years to reduce the gaps that may exist between women and men in tennis. The most mentioned are the wage disparities in most tournaments, though there has been little serious discussion about players dealing with their periods during tournaments.

The former Wimbledon runner-up addressed the topic and shared her own experience, recalling her struggles with menstrual cramps during pre-US Open practice: "I've definitely experienced period cramps, pain, and I remember having that the day before the US Open in New York. And I was like, thank god this is just a practice day today because if I had to play my match today, it would be really hard."

"That's just something that we have to deal with. We cannot control the Schedule," Bouchard added. The Canadian recently confirmed that she will be an analyst for Tennis Channel during the upcoming Wimbledon, which begins on July 1.

The tournament, where players traditionally wear white by regulation, recently changed its dress code rules after 139 years, allowing women to wear dark undergarments, something Bouchard highlighted: "And I also know some of the girls on tour also get worried when it comes to Wimbledon because you have to wear white. But now, actually, they changed the rules where you can wear, like, a different colored undergarment. So, like, your, like ball shorts under the dress can be a different color. That's a super recent rule."

A couple of years ago, Australian Daria Saville, former world No. 20, revealed that it was problematic dealing with the all-white dress code: "Recently just being at Wimbledon, I was talking with my friend saying that I love the all-white look, but then a few girls said they hate it because it sucks to wear all white while being on your period. It's true, I myself had to skip my period around Wimbledon for the reason that I didn't want to worry about bleeding through. We already have enough stress.”

"One time I got a period mid-match. I went to the bathroom and then was like oh surprise. We are only allowed two toilet breaks during a match. Thank god I had a female umpire. I explained to her what is happening and then I waited for someone to bring me a tampon because I didn’t have any. This happened during my first ever Australian Open in the second round. It was also 38 degrees on that day. that’s why I said it sucks to be a girl sometimes," she added back in 2022.