Tennis favorite Genie Bouchard has proudly displayed the medical evidence of her Covid-19 jab, likening her appointment to winning a golden ticket while being hailed as a "vaccinated queen" by former US Open champ Sloane Stephens.
While the question of being vaccinated has divided figures across tennis, the 27-year-old was unequivocal in her excitement about receiving the treatment – adding that it made her feel as if she had received a hallowed 'golden ticket' to visit Willy Wonka's confectionary production house, as made famous by the film 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory'.
Breaking away from her usual displays of modeling stylish clothes and lounging in exotic locations, Bouchard posed with her post-vaccination plaster visible at the top of her left arm and the documentation of her treatment held in place on her chest by a bag strap.
"Got my Willy Wonka golden ticket," added the Canadian it-girl, having previously told her Instagram following of more than 2.1 million that she was "vaccine-bound" while wearing a mask and looking into the camera.
The topic of vaccinations has been a particularly thorny one in tennis. Many top players and coaches have said they are reluctant to have a jab, explaining that they feel the existing vaccines have not been sufficiently tested.
Last week, former champion Pat Cash claimed that women's governing body the WTA was encouraging stars to be vaccinated without giving them any information or alternative options, and there has been uproar in some quarters over mooted 'vaccine passports' that could dictate whether players, their entourages and fans are allowed to travel and attend events.
Bouchard playfully shared an unverified story from Twitter that was purportedly posted by someone who had vaccinated themselves, and shared a screenshot from dating app Bumble – an issue that may be close to her heart, given her previous insights into her varied love life – that showed a woman offering to "give it a shot" with potential suitors as long as they had been jabbed.
Several cautionary responses inevitably surfaced under Bouchard's photo. "Walking, talking virtue signaling billboard with not an original thought or action in its empty head," one viewer said of the snap, while another added: "Good little sheep."
The Miami-based 2014 Wimbledon finest hit back at one of her respondents while mocking another who warned her that "most of the kids who got the Wonka golden tickets either died or were horribly injured or deformed."
"Best reply," laughed Bouchard, adding that a vaccine card "will get us back to real life."
Ex-world number three Stephens, who won at Flushing Meadows in 2017, was fulsome in her praise for Bouchard's bravery, receiving a heart emoji in reply.
The top two female players in the world, Ashleigh Barty and Naomi Osaka, have said they would be happy to be vaccinated, while world number three Simona Halep became one of the first to receive the treatment.
World number five Elina Svitolina is among those who has said vaccines for Covid-19 are unproven, joined by players including two-time Grand Slam winner Aryna Sabalenka.
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