Eugenie Bouchard in the crossfire of Maria Sharapova’s fans

Eugenie Bouchard is back to hit her rival Maria Sharapova. The two tennis players have never loved each other very much. And now the Canadian has returned to shot against the Russian, with a fiery tweets during the Mutua Madrid Open. Tweet that was later deleted.

However, the Canadian’s tweet has landed her in the crossfire of Maria Sharapova fans.

Bouchard has been labeled spineless by Sharapova’s fans. Bouchard, after beating Dayana Yastremska in the first round, caused quite a stir with a tweet referencing doping scandals involving Yastremska and Sharapova herself.

“There’s something about playing dopers in Madrid,” Bouchard wrote on the post that accompanied a photo of her celebrating her win over Yastremska. Bouchard quickly deleted the post, but fans had time to share it.

Eugenie Bouchard in the crossfire of Maria Sharapova’s fans

And of course Maria Sharapova’s fans have attacked the Canadian harshly, with very venomous comments on social media, especially on Twitter.

After the meldonium ban, and after making her return in Stuttgart, Sharapova also competed in Madrid. In Madrid, Sharapova won her first-round match to set up a second-round meeting against Sharapova. After calling out Sharapova, Bouchard defeated the Russian on the clay courts of Madrid 7-5 2-6 6-4. Sharapova played pro tennis for three more years before retiring from the game after the 2020 Australian Open.

When Sharapova was banned for using the banned substance meldonium in 2016, Bouchard said about: “I don’t think it’s fair. She’s a cheater. I don’t think a cheater in any sport should be allowed to play that sport again against all the other players who do it right and are sincere.

I think the WTA sends the wrong message to the kids: Cheat and we’ll welcome you back again with open arms. It doesn’t. I don’t think it’s right, and it definitely he’s not someone I admire anymore because he’s definitely screwed me up a bit.”