Eugenie Bouchard will return to the Coupe Banque Nationale in Quebec City for the first time since 2013

PARIS – The last time Genie Bouchard played the Coupe Banque Nationale in Quebec City in 2013, she was a promising teenager ranked No. 59 and rising. She reached the semi-finals.

A lot has changed since then, but 2016 has been a season of Bouchard dropping down and playing some smaller events. So in what is great news for the tournament, organizers announced Tuesday that Bouchard would be returning for this year's edition. The Coupe Banque Nationale takes place right after the US Open, Sept. 12-18.

It's a big get; WTA International-level events like this offer just over $225,000 US in prize money. It's a ongoing challenge for them to attract players with big-enough names to sell tickets.

As well, Tennis Canada announced that the tournament, which had come under the ownership of Quebecor when the company acquired the Quebec major junior Remparts in 2014, will cede its ownership rights back to Tennis Canada for the nominal sum of $1. It's a move that should be finalized at the WTA Tour board meeting to be held next month during Wimbledon.

Two years ago, the tournament held a wild card for Bouchard until the 11th hour but as her star exploded, she opted for more lucrative commitments on the fall circuit in Asia. Last year, of course, she was just a couple of weeks from the season-destroying concussion incident in the locker room at the US Open.

Bouchard spoke live from Paris at the morning press conference, after a 2 p.m. practice here not at Roland Garros, but off-site; with the qualifying going on at Roland Garros, and several courts out of commission as the first phases of the renovation project gets under way, it's a lot less convenient to practice there than it was a year ago.

In 2014, the Quebec City event was able to entice Venus Williams after her successful run at the Rogers Cup in nearby Montreal. The American the crowd their money's worth until she bowed out in the final to Mirjana Lucic-Baroni of Croatia. Last year, No. 1 seed Madison Keys of the U.S. withdrew with a wrist injury; Lucic-Baroni, then ranked No. 48, was the highest-ranked player in the tournament.

For years the event, called the Bell Challenge, took place end of October/beginning of November and faced stiff competition from the European indoor events. Moving it right after the US Open, it was hoped, would encourage good players to come to Quebec City directly from nearby New York City, before moving on to Asia and Europe to wrap up the season.

It hasn't quite worked out that way, at least so far. But the September date has another down side. Let's say, theoretically, that Bouchard goes deep into the second week at the US Open - will she then be tempted to bow out of Quebec City before the Asian tour? It's too soon to tell. But the announcement of her participation certainly won't hurt ticket sales.

Back in Paris, Bouchard continues her preparations for the French Open, which begins on Sunday. Coaching mentor Nick Saviano has arrived to join coach Cyril Saulnier.