The WTA is "desperate for new stars to market, particularly North American ones" and is pulling Canadian Eugenie Bouchard "in about nine different directions," according to Damien Cox of the TORONTO STAR. The higher in the rankings players "rise in the tennis world, the more demands there are, particularly for a player with off-court appeal like Bouchard." It is now "hard to separate the glamour from the groundstrokes in the women’s game." Cox: "Go through the media guide. Every player is portrayed as if they were a runway model caught in a wind machine." Bouchard said, "(Fashion) is definitely part of it, and it’s part of all women’s sports. It gives us more attention, so I think it’s a good thing. I know deep down the most important thing is tennis." Lagardère Unlimited Dir of Talent Marketing/Tennis Drew LeMesurier, one of Bouchard's agents, said, "Because of her mentality and our belief in her, we have the luxury of turning down deals. We can take our time, be calculated, get the right partners with long-term commitments." Bouchard is "sponsored by Nike, Babolat, Rogers and Canadian food distributor Pinty’s." Bouchard has made $517,991 this year, including $478,431 from her Australian Open semifinal run. However, the endorsement money available "could dwarf anything she can win in tennis cash prizes." Bouchard: "It’s hard for me to think about [it] all now. I still feel kind of new. I’m still in the honeymoon phase. ... I think I can do some cool stuff, but it’s hard for me to envision that right now" (TORONTO STAR, 3/10).
