Nathalie Tauziat has been collaborating with Tennis Canada and her hopes for 14 years now, mainly young girls. Collect, it suggests a periodic relationship, marked with absences. However, it may be that the association between the 57-year-old Frenchwoman and the Canadian organization reaches a new stadium in the medium term.
On Monday in Flushing Meadows, Tauziat will have only one tennis priority: that of helping Victoria Mboko, the rising star of female tennis, to initiate its journey to the internationals of the United States.
Later, we will have to stay on the lookout for possible discussions between Tauziat and Tennis Canada. Because, on both sides, we feel a common interest in increasing the links, although, on both sides, again, we approach the subject with a certain caution.
“Currently, I’m doing 25 weeks with Tennis Canada. I’ve been doing this for a long time. I have a 25 -week contract where I am paid by the week. For the moment it works well like that. But why not, one day, come and live in Montreal because, good … “, said Tauziat during a recent telephone interview with Canadian press.
Tauziat’s words suggest an evolving family context. This could open the door to an increased presence in Montreal of the former Wimbledon international finalist in 1998, who was going to become the third world player in simple, in 2000, then in double, in 2001.
At Tennis Canada, we would be ready to accommodate Tauziat, if such a possibility presented itself. In fact, about three years ago, about three years ago, that Tennis Canada gave him a pole to increase his role and his presence within the organization, underlines Guillaume Marx, high performance vice-president at Tennis Canada.
“It depends on what she can do, because she still lives in France. In any case, we are asking for what she does more. It’s no secret, ”says Marx.
“If, at one point, there is the possibility that it does more, then we will make it work. Family conditions are made only for the moment, it’s 25 weeks. But if there was a way to do more, we would be listening, that’s for sure, “he adds.
A person and coach
Since 2011, Tauziat has worked closely with several young Quebecers and Canadian who, one day or another, have been able to distinguish themselves on the short.
The first was Eugenie Bouchard, who won the simple of Repentigny international junior in 2011, shortly after the start of their collaboration.
Less than a year later, with Tauziat as a guide, Bouchard won the junior component of Wimbledon internationals in two rounds of 6-2, 6-2 against a young Ukrainian named Elina Svitolina, now a world player.
Before accepting the “Mboko project” in November 2024, Tauziat notably participated in the progression of Bianca Andreescu when the Ontario was still of junior age.
“I said all the time that Bianca was lucky to have Nathalie to teach her the whole ITF Circuit ABC, because at that time, Bianca was starting to play the tournaments of the ITF junior circuit,” said André Labelle, national coach of the Regional Tennis Center in Quebec with the 15 years and under, girls and boys, at Tennis Canada.
“The other really important aspect at Nathalie is that she always wants to develop the full tennis of girls,” added Labelle, who worked closely with Tauziat with Andreescu.
For Marx, there is no doubt that Tauziat has qualities as an out of the ordinary.
“I think Nathalie is called an exceptional coach. It is above average in terms of things that she feels and that she is able to transmit to very high level players, ”describes Marx.
“What strikes me in the week she spent (in Montreal) and that I could also see on tournaments is that we feel confidence. We feel that the player has fully confidence in her coach. I think it can pass messages in moments of strength and tension. And I think she gave a very clear direction to Victoria. And as a result, she managed to breathe a lot of confidence to her, “he added.
This description that Marx makes of the bond of trust that Tauziat established with Mboko, Sylvain Bruneau entirely shares it.
“I am sure that Nathalie has greatly contributed to making people understand (in Mboko) that she was able to defeat players like Coco Gauff, all those she defeated in Montreal. And that is one of Nathalie’s great qualities, because she had that as a player. She was unlikely. (…) And she transmits that to her players, “said Bruneau, who was responsible for the female component in Tennis Canada when entering Tauziat.
When he talks about Tauziat, Bruneau does it with affection. “I have only good words for Nathalie Tauziat,” he said in conclusion of a recent telephone interview with the Canadian press.
“It’s very difficult not to get along with Nathalie, I think. She is super transparent, very true, authentic. She always has a good state of mind. She is always looking for solutions, ”lists Bruneau.
Moreover, Tauziat and Bruneau shared moments together in the lodge reserved for the Bouchard team at the omnium national banking.
Bruneau specifies that the initiative came from Bouchard herself, which Tauziat corroborates, who admits having appreciated the approach.
“Eugenie came to see me and said to me: ‘I hope you are going to be in my matches’. I told him, ‘of course. I’m going to be up there, in the stands’. She said to me: ‘Ah no, you’re going to be sitting next to my mother. You stay with Sylvain during the matches’, “says Tauziat, with a noticeable recognition in the tone of his voice.
This is what one might call “to complete the loop” in a beautiful way.