She received much acclaim and attention after appearing in her first Grand Slam final and vaulting into the top five in the world in women's tennis.
Garbine Muguruza, however, is hoping to avoid the curse of Eugenie Bouchard.
Further Drop In Rankings Could Aid Eugenie Bouchard's Lawsuit Against WTA
Muguruza is competing as the No. 2 seed in the WTA Finals in Singapore, behind only Maria Sharapova. Top-ranked Serena Williams is not in the event.
The 22-year-old Muguruza experienced a similar breakthrough in 2015 that Bouchard enjoyed in 2014. When asked about the comparison, the Wimbledon finalist said Bouchard's struggles this year definitely has been in the back of her mind.
Fears Of Long-Lasting Impact From Concussion May Have Pushed Eugenie Bouchard's Lawsuit
"It's an example of something that can happen, obviously," Workd No. 3 Muguruza told reporters, according to Reuters.
"I think it's hard to manage a lot of things. I saw an example in Genie. It's not a good example. But hopefully, I can manage better these kind of situations and avoid, a little bit, my spirit going down (and) try not to let this happen to me."
The now-21-year-old Bouchard entered 2014 ranked 32nd in the world but advanced to the semifinals in the first three Grand Slam events that year, including a finals appearance in the French Open.
She vaulted all the way to No. 5 and finished the year No. 7. Bouchard entered 2015 looking to build upon her success, although she split with longtime coach Nick Saviano.
After reaching the quarterfinals in the 2015 Australian Open, Bouchard proceeded to lose 18 of her next 26 matches.
Ironically, Bouchard's downfall came under the guidance of coach Sam Sumyk, whom she left in August. Sumyk began working with Muguruza in September after she split with coach Alejo Mancisidor.
She had a resurgence going with three wins at the U.S. Open before suffering a concussion that ended her 2015 season. Bouchard currently is No. 48.
Muguruza started 2015 with a No. 21 ranking but has elevated herself to No. 3 in the world, thanks to a 38-18 record this season and an appearance in the Wimbledon finals.
She won her first tournament of the year and only the second tournament of her career at the China Open a couple of weeks ago.
At least, Sumyk can provide constant reminders to Muguruza on how not to follow Bouchard.
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