"I literally thought I was playing Serena" - Genie Bouchard recalls her first match back following 17-month injury hiatus

Canadian tennis star Eugenie Bouchard returned to tennis after being absent for 17 months and she talked about it in a recent interview.

Bouchard is back to playing regular tennis as she tries to return to her best tennis. She's far removed from it but also shows a solid level that makes it easy to believe she could be a fairly consistent and good player.

"My first, first match, I felt like the ball was coming at me so fast," recalled the former Wimbledon finalist. "I was playing a girl ranked 200, and obviously no disrespect to her, but I literally thought I was playing Serena. Her ball was coming so fast at me, I was like, ‘Oh my God.’"

It was a slow return for Bouchard who looked very rusty but quickly improved to a fairly respectable level. The shoulder is a thing of the past as it didn't bother her during a recent active period of three months. She's hopeful that it remains that way so she can enjoy the full schedule.

"I played three months straight from August until November, and I didn’t have any issues with my shoulder," she added. "After playing a lot, sometimes you’ll get a little bit tight, but it’s very normal and expected. I’m really looking forward to a full 2023 schedule."