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Genie Bouchard goes to urgent care after getting hit in eye with pickleball

Adam Forziati
Director of Content

Last Edited

Dec 13 2024

Category

News

Former tennis star Genie Bouchard, now a rising figure in pickleball, caught a plastic pickleball straight to the eye after her partner mis-hit a shot during a training session this week.

One urgent care visit later: a scratched cornea and a stern reminder about eye protection in a sport growing faster—and harder—than ever.

Sharing her experience on social media, Bouchard wrote: “Got hit in the eye with a pickleball...”

Pickleball pro Genie bouchard posing for an Instagram story with an eyepatch after getting injured during practice

Her eye patch and determination to keep playing sparked a wave of conversations about safety.

Mis-hits and smashes can all lead to injuries like Genie's — or worse. Pickleball safety eyewear is more important now than ever before, especially as paddle power improves and the game becomes more athletic.

Check out all of Pickleball Central's protective eyewear options here.

Bouchard is already back on the court, joking, "The things we do for this sport!" in an Instagram story.

Read Next: Pickleball Can SAVE Your Eyes, Too. Just Ask This Player

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