Bouchard, who received a wild card into the tournament, kicked off her farewell event with a 6-4, 2-6, 6-2 win over Colombia’s Emiliana Arango. She’ll face No. 17 seed Belinda Bencic in the second round on Wednesday.
Read More: Eugenie Bouchard extends her tennis career after first WTA win since 2023 in Montréal
In the meantime, fans can read Parsons’ full Wimbledon story—and heartfelt goodbye—on Instagram and below:
"For (and about) @geniebouchard
"This is a picture of me and Genie at Wimbledon in 2014 when she and her family so graciously invited Todd and I to watch a match, if we could get to London.
"Genie and I had been introduced by our managers; I was/am a tennis fanatic and she was a fan of Big Bang Theory (I cannot say if she still watches our reruns haha). She invited me to come watch her play immediately, but I couldn’t due to work schedules, so we just kept some emails going back and forth and I watched her play on tv.
"I was VERY nervous about writing Genie back then. I have such an admiration for elite athletes and so much affection for tennis players in particular, and their whole existence has an aura of mystery to me - a man who never really played ANY sport and has yet to pick up a tennis racket as an adult. So I was always afraid of saying something in an email that might “throw her off her game” (as if I had the power) I wondered things like “do athletes say good luck? Break a leg? Go out there and slay?” It was ridiculous, but that’s the way I was. I felt that I had more access to an athlete than I was capable of handling.
"Finally, Todd and I got schedules arranged so that we could travel to London for that 2014 Wimbledon. I had work to finish up in Los Angeles during Genie’s first round match and, as the flights and hotel were already booked, I watched her on TV praying she would win. She did, in straight sets.
"We met up with Genie’s family on the hallowed grounds that are Wimbledon (it really is very special, like no place I’ve ever been) for her second round match on an outer court. We were taken to seats with Genie’s family and coach while Nick Kyrgios finished up his match on the same court. I had never seen Kyrgios play and MY GOD were we impressed. Anyway… (CONTINUED IN COMMENTS!)
"We watched Genie win that second round match. I was both in heaven and also not certain this was reality: I have watched tennis on tv basically my whole life. I enjoy it like no other sport. Wimbledon, specifically, always seemed to me like a magical kingdom - the beauty of the grass, the all white attire of the players. If a sport has an element of “holy,” Wimbledon is the place to find it. So it was a little out-of-body to be there, as much as I loved it.
"Luckily I had a chance for a do-over as Genie and her family asked if Todd and I would like to watch her third round match, too. We said “hell yes” and came back two days later.
"Genie won her third round match.
"We were invited to her fourth round match.
"Genie won her fourth round match.
"At this point, we were scheduled to return to Los Angeles in a day or two, but Genie and her team asked if we’d like to keep going on this wild ride and attend the quarterfinal match. I couldn’t imagine there weren’t other people in their lives that they might like to have fly in and get this INSANELY SPECTACULAR view of this INSANELY SPECTACULAR Wimbledon Genie was having, so I hesitated. We were told, however, that we were part of this journey now - why mess with it and change the makeup of the players box? (I don’t believe this was superstition on the part of Genie’s team, I actually think they were just being really sweet to us. But, of course, we changed our flight, extended our hotel, and stayed.)
"As Wikipedia can tell you, Genie went all the way to the final. Petra Kvitova played crazily well and took the title and I really cannot imagine how Genie - or any runner up in a major - must feel in that moment. Seeing her after the match, however, I was taken with how much the accomplishments of the last two weeks, in total, kind of radiated off of her, at least in my view. She hadn’t even lost a set of tennis until that final and, having watched it up close and personal, I could feel that strength and focus, even after the tournament had ended.
"Word is that the National Bank Open in Canada, which started its first round yesterday, will be Genie’s final tournament. She plays tonight and I will be rooting for her, this time on tv again. But whatever the result of the match and this tournament, if Genie is really hanging up the racket, at least as a professional, I wanted to write this congratulations/thank you/ode to her, in case. Genie, I will never forget the steely focus and icy resolve you had as a player, something I may not have understood had you not invited me into your world to witness up close. Any time we watch a player take a ball out of the air before it bounces, compressing time, pressuring their opponent, me and Todd BOTH scream at the tv, “THAT’S GENIE BOUCHARD TENNIS!”
"Congratulations on all you’ve accomplished. Thank you - and your whole family - for being so inclusive to us groupies for two weeks in Wimbledon; I knew at the time it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience I was having and that realization actually only grows MORE evident with every year and every major tennis tournament that passes.
"I will be rooting for you in all that you do next. THANK YOU, GENIE! And break a leg tonight! Wait… just good luck. Yeah. GOOD LUCK! Xoxo"
