'Butt-kicked' Bouchard confronts crisis of confidence

From corporate sports dream girl with a fondness for Justin Bieber to accusations of being a pouting prima donna, it has been a long year for Eugenie Bouchard.

Blonde, athletic and oozing an unshakable self-confidence, Bouchard was being touted as the natural heir to Maria Sharapova in 2014 when she swept to the semifinals of the Australian and French Opens and a runners-up spot at Wimbledon.

But fast forward to 2015 and with even grizzled coach Sam Sumyk admitting the Canadian poster girl is a target for getting "her butt kicked", the 21-year-old is facing a worrying crisis of her rock-solid self-belief.