Eugenie Bouchard, the retired Canadian tennis star, disclosed that a bold shaved-head look derailed her Rolex sponsorship during her career peak.
Career Highlights and Rising Pressure
In 2014, Bouchard reached the Wimbledon final, claimed her first professional title, and entered the world’s top five rankings. The surge in expectations that followed proved challenging, prompting her to embrace a rebellious phase at age 22.
The Dramatic Hair Transformation
In 2016, Bouchard debuted a striking new style with one side of her head shaved. She aimed for a subtle undercut but ended up with a much more extreme cut. “I had a very late rebellious phase… I shaved the side of my head,” she shared. “To be fair, I wanted just a very small undercut thing, and I don’t know what happened, but it was literally half my head. I felt like I looked like a cancer patient, and I was like, this is not the look I was going for.”
Impact on Rolex Partnership
The unintended hairstyle directly affected her professional endorsements. Bouchard lost her Rolex deal renewal after the brand sent her agent a pointed email stating the look did not align with their image. “It caused me to not get my Rolex deal renewed. I think they sent an email to my agent along the lines of like, ‘Oh, this doesn’t align with our brand’, or something like that,” she explained.
Further Rebellious Choices
Bouchard extended her defiance with a temporary henna tattoo on her forearm—a crown inspired by Justin Bieber’s ink. “And then I got a temporary tattoo as well… It was, like, a crown, because Justin Bieber has one of those,” she admitted, calling it “cringe” and embarrassing in hindsight.
Navigating Appearance Scrutiny
Often in the spotlight for her looks, including Sports Illustrated Swimsuit features, Bouchard used these changes to push back against stereotypes. “I was like, okay, this is my appearance now. Like, F you,” she said. She described evolving from a tomboyish youth to embracing femininity on and off the court, influenced by her sisters. “I still want to look cute on the court. I want to wear a cute outfit. I still want to wear heels and go out at night,” she noted.
Defending Off-Court Opportunities
Bouchard faced criticism for pursuits beyond tennis but stands by her choices. “The big thing I feel like people hated on was doing stuff outside of tennis,” she reflected. “I got all these cool opportunities because of my success in tennis, and I was just saying yes to them. Why should I keep myself in a little box?”
She retired from professional tennis at the 2025 Canadian Open, transitioned to professional pickleball in 2023, and now contributes to Tennis Channel commentary.
