'What did I get myself into?': Bouchard's nerves at posing topless
Canadian tennis star Eugenie Bouchard has revealed how she overcame initial nerves at being topless for her Sports Illustrated Swimsuit shoot.
Bouchard joined fellow tennis glamour girls Caroline Wozniacki and Serena Williams in the 2017 edition of the iconic magazine shoot.
And while she has no problems flaunting her athletic frame on social media, Sports Illustrated was a very different story.
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"SI is super secretive with this issue, so I didn't see anything until the issue actually came out on Wednesday," the 23-year-old told Fox News.
Image: Eugenie Bouchard/Instagram
"I didn't sleep well Tuesday night and woke up the next day at 6am and googled Sports Illustrated to see my pictures."
Bouchard said she was very anxious on set after taking her top off in front of strangers.
"I woke up at 5am, and when I got to the fitting to put on the bikini, the stylist said, 'No, take your top off. The first shot is going to be topless.' At 7am, I didn't have a top on for the first shot.
Image: Eugenie Bouchard/Instagram
"I just kept thinking, 'What did I get myself into?' But, by the end of the day, I didn't care anymore. I was changing in front of people. They've seen it all!
"My first reaction was just being shy because it was my first time I did a shoot like this.
"It was also the first time I did a shoot topless. But I've gotten used to it, so it's all good!"
Bouchard says she encountered a number of online trolls who told her to concentrate on tennis rather than appearing in the magazine.
"I've gotten that over the last couple of years I've done a photo shoot anywhere it's like 'oh god, get back on the tennis court... what are you doing, go practice," Bouchard told CBS Sports.
"I practised for six hours today and I did this like two hours after. I'm practising for six hours [a day] all this week, 'what are you talking about ... do you work 24 hours a day?'
"You have to deal with that hate and not take it personally. It's been a couple of years now."