Chapter 1841 Rushing into the Darkness

Bang.

A muffled sound.

It wasn't a loud bang, not a loud thunder, just a dull thud, someone fell in the locker room.

Perhaps, some people will say, it’s just wrestling, what’s the big deal?

Indeed, wrestling is just wrestling, and there are many cases of falling on flat ground. There is no need to make a fuss about it and appear to lack common sense.

But at the same time, if someone falls down, it's just a fall, and they can just stand up and pat their butt and be fine; however, if someone falls down, they may get into trouble that they didn't expect.

For example, Bouchard.

Last year, after reaching the semi-finals of three consecutive Grand Slams, Bouchard became undoubtedly the most sought-after beauty of the year, taking over the title of "Sweetheart" and becoming a new and beautiful landscape of the WTA. She has been a constant topic of discussion both on and off the court, and has also set off a strong rise of youth storms in the women's arena.

However, with last year's US Open as a turning point, Bouchard fell into a vicious circle of slow decline. In the spring season after the end of this year's Australian Open, she was in a dilemma of finding it difficult to win a single game. After being eliminated in the first round of Roland Garros and Wimbledon, she lost a huge amount of points and her world ranking plummeted.

From "genius girl" to "no such person", in just one year, Bouchard experienced a thrilling roller coaster ride between heaven and hell.

Returning to the North American hard court season in the summer, Bouchard hired legendary player Jimmy Connors as her coach.

Connors has a series of records that are difficult to surpass in his career. Although eight Grand Slam championship trophies are not the most, 109 singles championship trophies are an unattainable height. He is also the only male player in history with more than 100 singles championships.

His stability and tenacity are undoubtedly a monument in professional tennis, and the transformation he can bring to Bouchard is exactly what the beautiful girl needs most right now.

This move had an immediate effect——

Coming to Flushing, Bouchard found her game touch again. After defeating Cibulkova in three hard-fought sets, she returned to the second week of the Grand Slam.

At the same time, she also won all the first-round matches in women's doubles and mixed doubles, making her the only player in this year's US Open who fought on three fronts and still remained in the draw.

From the peak to the trough, and then back to the form from the trough, Bouchard's experience in just one year is legendary and rich enough.

Everything seemed to be back on track at last, and at the post-match press conference, Bouchard even managed to smile again.

However.

No one expected that after the press conference, when she returned to the locker room and went to the physical therapy room to take an ice bath, Bouchard accidentally slipped, hit her head, and became dizzy.

After preliminary examination by the doctor, Bouchard suffered a mild concussion.

The severity of the situation was far beyond expectations.

Following the doctor's advice, Bouchard reluctantly announced the withdrawal of the women's doubles and mixed doubles events. As for the singles competition, it awaits further attention and evaluation.

From repeated injuries to suspected colds to a concussion caused by a fall in the locker room, even though last year's US Open witnessed a miracle, this year's US Open still easily refreshed our perceptions because it was so bizarre and absurd that it made people suspect that all of this was a script and a performance.

Sure, isn't that Woody Allen filming Match Point 2?

Compared with Bouchard, Gao Wen's accidental injury was just a drop in the bucket, and the focus of social networks shifted in the blink of an eye.

Those doubts, complaints, and hatred disappeared in an instant. In the heated discussions that dominated the screen, Govan became a supporting role, and Bouchard won the attention she deserved.

Although no one knows if this is what Bouchard wanted.

Moreover, things are sliding further into the abyss.

After resting and adjusting, Bouchard underwent another concussion test, but failed the verification. The doctor suggested that Bouchard should withdraw from all competitions, including singles events.

Otherwise, if you play in a game with a concussion, the worst case scenario may be sudden death.

Bouchard had no choice.

After withdrawing from all US Open events this year, Bouchard's performance in the last Grand Slam of the year was limited to the fourth round.

If that was all the nightmare was, then fine.

In fact, this is just the beginning.

After the US Open ended, Bouchard continued to suffer from dizziness during the Asian season and withdrew from tournaments one after another. Finally, in October, she filed a lawsuit, formally accusing the United States Tennis Association and the organizers of the US Open of negligence that caused her to fall and get injured, leaving her with immeasurable consequences.

After the two parties failed to reach a settlement, they entered a long trial phase. After a tug-of-war, there was no new progress until 2018.

Bouchard won the case.

The New York District Circuit Court ultimately ruled that the United States Tennis Association needed to bear 75% of the responsibility and Bouchard herself bore 25% of the responsibility. The specific injuries and compensation matters will be decided later, and the compensation may be as high as millions of dollars.

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This is good news for Bouchard, but it is still difficult to be happy.

Since this US Open, Bouchard has never been able to regain her touch. Not only has she withdrawn from competitions frequently, but she has also suffered serious injuries afterwards. She has been declining and falling all the way into the abyss. Even after the distant 2023, she still has not been able to regain her form.

Later, Bouchard's world ranking fell out of the top 300. She applied for ranking protection due to injuries, but she is still struggling.

Maybe Bouchard can regain her form; maybe not, but by 2023, she will no longer be young. From the age of twenty-one to twenty-nine, the most precious and important ten years for a professional player, she has spent them in struggle and repetition, and her youth can never be recovered.

Looking back many years later, the 2015 US Open was indeed a tournament full of weirdness and absurdity.

Everything reached its peak during Bouchard’s wrestling moment. Darkness and chaos spread in Flushing, and continued to spread on the seventh day of the competition.

From men's singles to women's singles, the competition for the top eight spots has begun in full swing.

In the first match of the day at Arthur Ashe Stadium, a shocking upset occurred, which was also the biggest upset in the men's singles competition.

Murray, out.

If we say that Kei Nishikori's loss and Nadal's elimination, apart from the shock and astonishment, there are more or less clues. After all, both players are facing their own difficulties.

Moreover, Kei Nishikori missed two match points and lost, and Nadal lost in a Grand Slam for the first time in his career after losing the first two sets. They also gave their all in their positions and fought to the end.

So, Murray's loss is full of confusion.

Indeed, in the second round, when Murray faced Mannarino, he lost two sets at first and then won three sets, which seemed to be a sign.

At that time, Murray said he had a cold and his throat was not feeling well, but after a few days of adjustment he had basically recovered and won the third round in straight sets.

Entering the second week of the competition, no one expected that this dark chaos would still continue, and the first person to suffer a wake-up call was the champion of this year's US Open series!

(End of this chapter)