Eugenie Bouchard Reveals Haircut Cost Her Rolex Sponsorship
Bouchard's Career and Sponsorship Challenges
Former tennis star Eugenie Bouchard disclosed that a change in her hairstyle led to the loss of a sponsorship deal with Rolex. Bouchard gained significant attention after reaching the finals of Wimbledon in 2014. She concluded her tennis career in 2025 after competing at the Canadian Open at the age of 31, transitioning into pickleball after a 16-year journey in tennis.
The highlight of her tennis career was the 2014 Wimbledon final, where she finished as a runner-up to Petra Kvitova. This achievement propelled her into the spotlight, but her career faced challenges thereafter. "After that final, my life became chaotic: media attention, sponsors, changes on every level," she shared with the Tennis Insider Club. "Everything around me changed, which didn't help short-term, plus the weight of expectations. Winning became expected, while losing felt catastrophic. Anything less than a final was seen as failure," she explained.
After reaching a peak ranking of World No. 5, Bouchard struggled with the pressures of fame and high expectations, which ultimately affected her mental health. "2015 was particularly tough for me. Mental health wasn't openly discussed back then, and I was suffering a lot without the courage to speak about it. Admitting to seeing a therapist was stigmatized; people viewed it as a sign of weakness. I'm relieved that it's now a common topic, but I went through a very challenging time without being able to express it," she reflected.
In an attempt to cope, Bouchard decided to change her hairstyle, opting for an undercut. "I aimed for a subtle undercut, but it ended up being much more drastic than I intended. I felt like I looked unwell, which was not the look I was going for. Unfortunately, this drastic change led to Rolex not renewing my sponsorship," she stated. She revealed that the watchmaker's team had contacted her agent to express that her new appearance did not fit with their brand image.