Eugenie Bouchard Hits Early Career Crossroads at Wimbledon 2015

Eugenie Bouchard's fall from grace has been stunning and swift.

Just one year ago, the affable Canadian was charming audiences with her bubbly personality and an aggressive brand of tennis that skyrocketed her into title contention.

Bouchard possessed that rare combination of marketability and immense talent, with many tabbing her as the next coming of Maria Sharapova in that regard. The golden-haired prodigy burst onto the scene with a knack for flair and a magnetized attraction to publicity.

Her supersonic rise—from 32nd in the world at the end of 2013 to No. 5 a few months later—arrived courtesy of her clutch play at the biggest events in tennis. Bouchard kept raising the bar, reaching her first Grand Slam quarterfinal and semifinal at the 2014 Australian Open, feats she equalled at Roland Garros.

Wimbledon is where Bouchard's transformation into a star hit full flight last season. Her first-strike style of hitting meshed well with the fast surface at the All England Club. She played like a juggernaut on Centre Court and strutted like a rock star off it.

So in sync was Bouchard that she didn't even drop a set through her first six matches. Not even Angelique Kerber or Simona Halep could do anything to stop her momentum. At age 20, Bouchard suddenly found herself in a major final.

And then the clock struck midnight on her Cinderella run.

Pool/Getty Images

Petra Kvitova pulverized Bouchard with bruising haymakers from the baseline, using her lefty shots to glide to a lopsided 6-3, 6-0 victory.

That match took the wind out of the Canadian's sails, and she's been stuck at port ever since. After leaving the All England Club, Bouchard dropped three of her next four matches. Her streak of making at least the semifinals at majors came to an end with a disappointing fourth-round exit in New York.

Though Bouchard found herself in the Wuhan final last September, Kvitova once again took her to the woodshed. The spiral would only amplify.

Her breakthrough season ended with a whimper, as Bouchard lost all three of her matches at the WTA Championships in straight sets. She had entered a funk and became target practice for the rest of her peers.

"

Bouchardian adjective 1. tragic, unfortunate, unexpected, especially in tennis 2. Of or relating to Genie Bouchard https://t.co/nLDCJlH9FD

— Steve Weissman (@Steve_Weissman) July 2, 2015"

Named the WTA Most Improved Player because of her torrid start to 2014, Bouchard's summer and fall results left something to be desired. She had stagnated. Her response? Parting with long-time coach Nick Saviano.

A renowned tennis instructor and figure, Saviano had been a steadying force in the Bouchard camp for years. Her rise coincided with his increased involvement. So far, the early returns on a Saviano-less reality for Bouchard have been downright dismal.

Some nightmares don't require you to be asleep in order to experience their terror—just ask Bouchard. After piecing together a few promising wins to begin the 2015 Australian Open, she was blitzed in the quarterfinals by Maria Sharapova. Her record since leaving Melbourne? A grisly 4-12.

There's no other way to describe Bouchard's performance the past few months than off the rails. At Antwerp, Miami, Charleston, Madrid, Roland Garros, 's-Hertogenbosch and Birmingham, she suffered losses in the first round. That's not even counting her 0-2 mark in Fed Cup play against Romania, at which she infamously refused to shake her opponents' hands.

Bouchard hasn't been able to gain any momentum, either. Indian Wells, where she advanced to the fourth round, represents her best result since the Australian Open. 

Andy Brownbill/Associated Press/Associated Press/Associated Press

When it rains, it pours. Right now, Bouchard must feel like she's trapped in a flood.

Her brash personality on the court and instant fame likely rubbed fellow competitors the wrong way. It certainly seems as though Bouchard has a bullseye on her back right now, and she's been target practice for the rest of the WTA Tour. Whereas her game befuddled opponents last year, they're now reading her with extreme clarity.

All this losing is wearing on Bouchard, who told Yahoo Sports Canada's Stephanie Myles: "Its actually not been a fun kind of routine...kind of a vicious cycle. It’s not been fun. I’m not sure I’ve ever experienced anything as tough as this."

Vowing not to "panic" or "freak out," even the headstrong Bouchard has to be questioning where to go from here. At least she's kept her sense of humor despite this rut.

"

Ok I'll admit I laughed 😁 pic.twitter.com/zvXq5OFDJE

— Genie Bouchard (@geniebouchard) June 27, 2015"

But any smiles were quickly turned into frowns when she bowed out in the first round at Wimbledon. Yet another early exit from an event, this time to Chinese qualifier Ying-Ying Duan. How the mighty have fallen.

Citing an abdominal injury, relayed by the National Post, Bouchard's loss means she will sink to at least No. 25 in the rankings. Short on confidence and now dealing with this physical ailment makes her forecast even more gloomy heading into the summer hard-court season.

Athletes seem to age before our eyes faster than most people because of the glare of the spotlight. It's easy to forget that Bouchard is still only 21. Even by tennis standards, she's remarkably young. But she's undeniably hit an early crossroads in her career.

Ben Hoskins/Getty Images

Many moons ago, a teenage Roger Federer conquered the great Pete Sampras at Wimbledon. He was soon hailed as the next star and an eventual Grand Slam champion. We know those prophecies came true, yet that seismic win didn't result in instant success for Federer. Even he had to take plenty more lumps before ascending to the throne.

Bouchard could emerge stronger and more resilient because of these struggles. Or she could fade away like Melanie Oudin and countless other one-year wonders.

Where does she go from here? There are no easy solutions for Bouchard. Maybe her recent injury could be a blessing in disguise. She could use a mental respite while her body recovers. A break away from the game—even for just a few weeks—could be a remedy for her ills.

In the immediate future, Bouchard needs to evaluate. She'll have to decide whether she has the right coaching team behind her or if another fresh voice needs to be added to her camp. Perhaps working with someone else would resuscitate her game.

Everything should go under the microscope right now for Bouchard. Tactics may need to be changed to give her the best chance to maximize her skills. Trying out new approaches couldn't hurt.

Backed by her rabid supporters, the Genie Army, Bouchard isn't lacking in people rooting for her to turn things around. Whether she recovers from this nadir is up to her. But she'll have to use every ounce of her fortitude to do it.

All statistics are courtesy of WTATennis.com unless otherwise noted. 

Joe Kennard is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. 

Follow @JoeKennard.