It's tough being Eugenie Bouchard nowadays what with the unseemly comments and reactions from the tennis world and its fans that follow every tough loss of the Canadian media darling. But if you're a champion, you'd know that there will always be that light at the end of the tunnel and Bouchard seems to have a grasp of it already despite her first round exit at the Rogers Cup for the second straight year.

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Swiss teenager Belinda Bencic did what she had to do and dismantled Bouchard's run with a 6-0, 5-7, 6-2 victory. But the Montreal native handled the result well, calling it a "step in the right direction".

"It's easy to let yourself get negative when you lose a couple of matches in a row or you know your body's not feeling great," Bouchard told CBC Sports. "It's definitely been a tough road. And I feel like I'm at least not going downwards anymore. I'm trying to go on the right path. I feel like I can be close to performing well on the court, and it's just been a long, patient kind of battle, and I feel like I'm close to turning it around."

Indeed, it was a match that could have gone her way. Even Bencic had fair words for her opponent, describing the fight as a "big" one and that Bouchard "played well." But the result fans are waiting for may still take time to surface.

Just last week, Bouchard parted ways with coach Sam Sumyk after a stint that wasn't going well for the 21-year-old. She is currently working with Marko Dragic for the Rogers Cup but has yet to say a name that will work with her in the long run.

Nevertheless, the outcome, albeit slow, pleased Bouchard. "I feel like I started out a little bit rusty in a sense - haven't had a lot of match play recently," Bouchard said according to the WTA website. "But I was able to raise my game, and I think it was pretty competitive out there after that first set. So I'm pleased with my performance tonight."

Once again, the Genie Army is keeping their fingers crossed, hoping for a turnaround as the road to the final grand slam draws near. For now, it's a waiting game and simply keeping the belief alive that Bouchard will one day get back to playing her best. As world no. 3 Simona Halep would say, "Eugenie Bouchard will come back to the top soon. She was in the top, so we know she has the game to be there. Every player goes through this - it takes time and energy, but it will happen."

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