Canadian tennis star Eugenie Bouchard has credited her recent run of wins to a similar work ethic that has seen Rafael Nadal stay ahead of the curve in the men’s game.

The 27-year-old Bouchard fell short of picking up her first Tour title in a long time at Guadalajara, Mexico, but won wholesome praise for her marauding run to the final.

Eugenie Bouchard says she draws her motivation to improve from Rafael Nadal

The string of wins on the road to the tournament final will see her rise to 116 from 144 when the new rankings come out.

Languishing at a lowly 330th in the rankings during the lockdown break last year, Bouchard, in her own words, has charted a “long road” back to be within a touching distance of where she wants to be — inside the Top-100.

In an interview with the Toronto Star, the Canadian, who recently rang in her 27th birthday, said she owes her success to the hard work that went into training and preparation.

She said that credit, in part, is also due to her newfound motivation to keep improving.

Bouchard added that when it comes to constantly improving one’s game by putting in hours at training, there’s no better example than Nadal.

She said she draws her hunger and urge to improve from the 20-time Grand Slam-winning Spaniard, who is constantly trying to upskill himself and looking for a scope to better his craft even after so many years of success at the highest level.

“If Rafa is still trying to improve then I certainly have a long way to keep going,” the Canadian said.

Eugenie Bouchard says the Rafael Nadal-like work that she has put into her training is reflecting in her results

Bouchard added that while the quest for perfection and excellence is a never-ending process, she feels content that the hours of toil that went into her training is starting to reflect in her performances.

“I don’t think you ever really get there, but I feel like the work I’ve put in over the last year or so is finally coming to fruition a little bit,” Bouchard said.

Bringing a new and improved version of herself to the fore, the 27-year-old made the final of WTA Istanbul last year and also reached the fourth-round of the French Open before falling to eventual champion Iga Swiatek.

Read More: WATCH: Rafael Nadal’s Top Shots of 2020

However, she couldn’t clear the Dubai qualifiers to seal passage to the main draw of this year’s Australian Open.