Copyright © 2016. No duplication is permitted without permission from Bob Larson Tennis.

The 21-year-old Canadian Genie Bouchard was  relatively happy that she won a few matches in January, but she received a concussion at the 2015 US Open and she was unable to play most of the year.

But in 2016 she said she felt physically strong. However, Bouchard decided not to play the Fed Cup Feb. 6-7 in Quebec City against Belarus in the World Group II.

Bouchard only reached the second round of the Australia Open – the week before that, she reached the final in Hobart – so if she played the Fed Cup she wouldn’t have played for two and a half weeks, but she said she isn’t fully ready yet.

“Because of my shorten offseason due to my injury, I am still working on getting back into top form and preparing for the rest of the season and to represent my country in the Olympics this summer,” Bouchard said.

Unfortunately, without Bouchard, the Canadian team will be a serious underdog at Quebec City this weekend. Canada doesn’t have any players ranked in the top 300 — Françoise Abanda , Gabriela Dabrowski, Aleksandra Wozniak and Carol Zhao – and the former No. 1 Victoria Azarenka will play for Belarus.

A number of fans were upset that Bouchard wasn’t coming.  In 2014, she reached the semis of the Australian, the semis if the French Open and the final of Wimbledon. She reached No. 5 and many Canadian people had met her for the first time. But when some of them found out that she wouldn’t play this week, they criticized her on Twitter.

Bouchard defended herself. “I’ve played Fed Cup in 2011, 2013, 2014 & 2015, and proud to support my country. So not sure what you’re saying?” Bouchard said.

The Quebec City stadium might have to struggle in bringing in the fans.

“Of course, we’re totally disappointed. We want to put a winning team out on the court and she’s key to that concept. But I get it,” Tennis Canada CEO Kelly Murumets told Eh Game. “I actually think Genie would like to play. I believe she is completely sincere, and would love to play for Canada. She wants to win, and she and (Fed Cup captain) Sylvain (Bruneau) have a very special relationship. But I trust [his coach] Thomas Hogstedt. He totally believes in her. I trust that Thomas and Genie together made the right decision as it relates to her career.”

The tickets are $15 a day.

Copyright © 2016. No duplication is permitted without permission from Bob Larson Tennis.