Nathalie Tauziat

Nathalie Tauziat (born 17 October 1967) is a French former professional tennis player.[1] She was the runner-up in women's singles at the 1998 Wimbledon Championships and runner-up in the women's doubles at the 2001 US Open partnering Kimberly Po-Messerli. She reached a career-high ranking of world No. 3 in both singles and doubles.

Nathalie Tauziat
Tauziat-Martinez.jpg
Tauziat (left) and Conchita Martínez
Country (sports) France
ResidenceAnglet, France
Born (1967-10-17) 17 October 1967 (age 55)
Bangui, Central African Republic
Height1.65 m (5 ft 5 in)
Turned pro1984
Retired2003
PlaysRight-handed (one handed-backhand)
Prize money$6,650,093
Singles
Career record606–365 (62.4%)
Career titles8
Highest rankingNo. 3 (8 May 2000)
Grand Slam singles results
Australian Open4R (1993)
French OpenQF (1991)
WimbledonF (1998)
US OpenQF (2000)
Doubles
Career record525–326
Career titles25
Highest rankingNo. 3 (8 October 2001)
Grand Slam doubles results
Australian Open3R (1993)
French OpenSF (1990, 1994, 1997, 1999, 2000)
WimbledonSF (2001)
US OpenF (2001)
Team competitions
Fed CupW (1997)

She currently coaches her countrywoman Harmony Tan and Canadian tennis player Bianca Andreescu.[2]

Early lifeEdit

Tauziat was born in Bangui, Central African Republic, where she lived for the first eight years of her life.[3] She is a first cousin of Didier Deschamps, former captain and current manager of the French football team.[4] About a week after Tauziat reached the Wimbledon final on 4 July 1998, Deschamps led France to win the World Cup on 12 July 1998.

CareerEdit

Tauziat turned professional in 1984. She won her first singles title in 1990. She reached her only Grand Slam singles final at the 1998 Wimbledon Championships, beating Haruka Inoue, Iva Majoli, Julie Halard-Decugis, Samantha Smith, Lindsay Davenport and Natasha Zvereva before losing to Jana Novotná. Her appearance in this final was the first by a Frenchwoman since Suzanne Lenglen in 1925.

Tauziat was runner-up with partner Kimberly Po in the 2001 US Open women's doubles final, losing to the team of Lisa Raymond and Rennae Stubbs. She and partner Alexandra Fusai were doubles runners-up at the 1997 and 1998 Chase Championships. She was also part of the 1997 French Fed Cup team, which won its first title in the history of the competition.

Tauziat reached her career-high singles ranking of world No. 3 at the age of 32 years and 6 months in the spring of 2000, making her the oldest woman to debut in the top three and the fourth oldest to be ranked in the top three. She retired from the WTA Tour after the 2003 French Open, after having played only doubles in 2002 and 2003. Tauziat won 8 singles titles and 25 doubles titles on the WTA Tour in her career.

She wrote a book with the title "Les Dessous du tennis féminin" (published in 2001 in French) in which she gave her insights about life on the women's professional tennis circuit. In 2004 Tauziat received a state honour – le chevalier de la Légion d'honneur – from French President Jacques Chirac for her contributions to international tennis. She was an official WTA Tour mentor to French tennis player Marion Bartoli, beginning in 2003.

PersonalEdit

Tauziat married Ramuncho Palaurena on 16 July 2005. The couple have three daughters, one born in 2005 and twin girls in June 2009.

Major finalsEdit

Grand Slam tournamentsEdit

Singles: 1 (1 runner-up)Edit

Result Year Championship Surface Opponent Score
Loss 1998 Wimbledon Grass   Jana Novotná 4–6, 6–7(2–7)

Women's doubles: 1 (1 runner-up)Edit

Result Year Championship Surface Partner Opponents Score
Loss 2001 US Open Hard   Kimberly Po-Messerli   Lisa Raymond
  Rennae Stubbs
2–6, 7–5, 5–7

Year-end championshipsEdit

Doubles: 2 (2 runner-ups)Edit

Result Year Championship Surface Partner Opponents Score
Loss 1997 New York Carpet (i)   Alexandra Fusai   Lindsay Davenport
  Jana Novotná
7–6(7–5), 3–6, 2–6
Loss 1998 New York Carpet (i)   Alexandra Fusai   Lindsay Davenport
  Natasha Zvereva
7–6(8–6), 5–7, 3–6

WTA career finalsEdit

Singles: 22 (8–14)Edit

Winner – Legend
Grand Slam tournaments (0–1)
WTA Championships (0–0)
Tier I (1–1)
Tier II (3–5)
Tier III (3–3)
Tier IV (0–3)
Tier V (1–1)
Finals by surface
Hard (0–4)
Grass (3–4)
Clay (0–1)
Carpet (5–5)
Result W/L Date Tournament Surface Opponent Score
Loss 1. Jul 1988 Nice, France Clay   Sandra Cecchini 5–7, 4–6
Loss 2. Aug 1988 Mahwah, US Hard   Steffi Graf 0–6, 1–6
Loss 3. Feb 1990 Wichita, US Hard (i)   Dinky Van Rensburg 6–2, 5–7, 2–6
Win 1. Sep 1990 Bayonne, France Carpet (i)   Anke Huber 6–3, 7–6(10–8)
Loss 4. Oct 1991 Zürich, Switzerland Carpet (i)   Steffi Graf 4–6, 4–6
Loss 5. Mar 1992 San Antonio, US Hard   Martina Navratilova 2–6, 1–6
Loss 6. Oct 1992 Bayonne, France Carpet (i)   Manuela Maleeva-Fragniere 7–6(7–4), 2–6, 3–6
Win 2. Nov 1993 Québec City, Canada Carpet (i)   Katerina Maleeva 6–4, 6–1
Win 3. Jun 1995 Eastbourne, UK Grass   Chanda Rubin 3–6, 6–0, 7–5
Loss 7. Jun 1996 Birmingham, UK Grass   Meredith McGrath 6–2, 4–6, 4–6
Win 4. Jun 1997 Birmingham, UK Grass   Yayuk Basuki 2–6, 6–2, 6–2
Loss 8. Oct 1997 Zürich, Switzerland Carpet (i)   Lindsay Davenport 6–7(3–7), 5–7
Loss 9. Nov 1997 Chicago, US Carpet (i)   Lindsay Davenport 0–6, 5–7
Loss 10. Jul 1998 Wimbledon, UK Grass   Jana Novotná 4–6, 6–7(2–7)
Loss 11. Nov 1998 Leipzig, Germany Carpet (i)   Steffi Graf 3–6, 4–6
Loss 12. Jun 1999 Birmingham, UK Grass   Julie Halard-Decugis 2–6, 6–3, 4–6
Loss 13. Jun 1999 Eastbourne, UK Grass   Natasha Zvereva 6–0, 5–7, 3–6
Win 5. Oct 1999 Moscow, Russia Carpet (i)   Barbara Schett 2–6, 6–4, 6–1
Win 6. Nov 1999 Leipzig, Germany Carpet (i)   Květa Hrdličková 6–1, 6–3
Win 7. Feb 2000 Paris, France Carpet (i)   Serena Williams 7–5, 6–2
Loss 14. Feb 2001 Dubai, UAE Hard   Martina Hingis 4–6, 4–6
Win 8. Jun 2001 Birmingham, UK Grass   Miriam Oremans 6–3, 7–5

Doubles: 57 (25–32)Edit

Winner – Legend
Grand Slam tournaments (0–1)
WTA Championships (0–2)
Tier I (4–7)
Tier II (9–10)
Tier III (6–11)
Tier IV (5–0)
Tier V (0–1)
Virginia Slims (1–0)
Finals by surface
Hard (6–10)
Grass (1–2)
Clay (5–8)
Carpet (13–12)
Result W/L Date Tournament Surface Partner Opponents Score
Win 1. 4 Octtber 1987 Paris Clay   Isabelle Demongeot   Sandra Cecchini
  Sabrina Goleš
1–6, 6–3, 6–3
Win 2. 15 May 1988 Berlin Clay   Isabelle Demongeot   Claudia Kohde-Kilsch
  Helena Suková
6–2, 4–6, 6–4
Loss 1. 17 July 1988 Nice Clay   Isabelle Demongeot   Catherine Suire
  Catherine Tanvier
4–6, 6–4, 2–6
Win 3. 23 October 1988 Zürich Carpet (i)   Isabelle Demongeot   Claudia Kohde-Kilsch
  Helena Suková
6–3, 6–3
Loss 2. 30 October 1988 Brighton Carpet (i)   Isabelle Demongeot   Lori McNeil
  Betsy Nagelsen
6–7(5–7), 6–2, 6–7(4–7)
Win 4. 7 May 1989 Hamburg Clay   Isabelle Demongeot   Jana Novotná
  Helena Suková
w/o
Loss 3. 22 October 1989 Zürich Carpet (i)   Judith Wiesner   Jana Novotná
  Helena Suková
3–6, 6–3, 4–6
Loss 4. 18 February 1990 Chicago Carpet (i)   Arantxa Sánchez Vicario   Martina Navratilova
  Anne Smith
7–6(11–9), 4–6, 3–6
Win 5. 28 October 1990 Brighton Carpet (i)   Helena Suková   Jo Durie
  Natasha Zvereva
6–1, 6–4
Loss 5. 28 April 1991 Barcelona Clay   Judith Wiesner   Martina Navratilova
  Arantxa Sánchez Vicario
1–6, 3–6
Loss 6. 4 August 1991 San Diego Hard   Gigi Fernández   Jill Hetherington
  Kathy Rinaldi
4–6, 6–3, 2–6
Win 6. 28 September 1991 Bayonne Carpet (i)   Patricia Tarabini   Rachel McQuillan
  Catherine Tanvier
6–3, ret.
Loss 7. 26 April 1992 Barcelona Clay   Judith Wiesner   Conchita Martínez
  Arantxa Sánchez Vicario
4–6, 1–6
Win 7. 16 January 1993 Melbourne Hard   Nicole Provis   Cammy MacGregor
  Shaun Stafford
1–6, 6–3, 6–3
Loss 8. 7 November 1993 Québec City Carpet (i)   Katerina Maleeva   Katrina Adams
  Manon Bollegraf
4–6, 4–6
Loss 9. 24 April 1994 Barcelona Clay   Julie Halard   Larisa Neiland
  Arantxa Sánchez Vicario
2–6, 4–6
Win 8. 14 August 1994 Los Angeles Hard   Julie Halard   Jana Novotná
  Lisa Raymond
6–1, 0–6, 6–1
Win 9. 6 November 1994 Québec City Carpet (i)   Elna Reinach   Chanda Rubin
  Linda Wild
6–4, 6–3
Win 10. 26 February 1995 Linz Carpet (i)   Meredith McGrath   Iva Majoli
  Petra Schwarz
6–1, 6–2
Loss 10. 18 February 1996 Paris Clay (i)   Julie Halard-Decugis   Kristie Boogert
  Jana Novotná
4–6, 3–6
Loss 11. 16 March 1996 Indian Wells Hard   Julie Halard-Decugis   Chanda Rubin
  Brenda Schultz-McCarthy
1–6, 4–6
Loss 12. 16 June 1996 Birmingham Grass   Lori McNeil   Elizabeth Smylie
  Linda Wild
3–6, 6–3, 1–6
Win 11. 6 October 1996 Leipzig Carpet (i)   Kristie Boogert   Sabine Appelmans
  Miriam Oremans
6–4, 6–4
Win 12. 27 October 1996 Luxembourg Carpet (i)   Kristie Boogert   Barbara Rittner
  Dominique Van Roost
2–6, 6–4, 6–2
Loss 13. 10 November 1996 Oakland Carpet (i)   Irina Spîrlea   Lindsay Davenport
  Mary Joe Fernández
1–6, 3–6
Win 13. 16 February 1997 Linz Carpet (i)   Alexandra Fusai   Eva Melicharová
  Helena Vildová
4–6, 6–3, 6–1
Loss 14. 15 March 1997 Indian Wells Hard   Lisa Raymond   Lindsay Davenport
  Natasha Zvereva
3–6, 2–6
Loss 15. 24 August 1997 Atlanta Hard   Alexandra Fusai   Nicole Arendt
  Manon Bollegraf
7–6(7–5), 3–6, 2–6
Loss 16. 26 October 1997 Québec City Hard (i)   Alexandra Fusai   Lisa Raymond
  Rennae Stubbs
4–6, 7–5, 5–7
Win 14. 9 November 1997 Chicago Carpet (i)   Alexandra Fusai   Lindsay Davenport
  Monica Seles
6–3, 6–2
Loss 17. 23 November 1997 Chase Championships Carpet (i)   Alexandra Fusai   Lindsay Davenport
  Jana Novotná
7–6(7–5), 3–6, 2–6
Win 15. 28 February 1998 Linz Carpet (i)   Alexandra Fusai   Anna Kournikova
  Larisa Neiland
6–3, 3–6, 6–4
Loss 18. 15 March 1998 Indian Wells Hard   Alexandra Fusai   Lindsay Davenport
  Natasha Zvereva
4–6, 6–2, 4–6
Loss 19. 17 May 1998 Berlin Clay   Alexandra Fusai   Lindsay Davenport
  Natasha Zvereva
3–6, 0–6
Win 16. 24 May 1998 Strasbourg Clay   Alexandra Fusai   Yayuk Basuki
  Caroline Vis
6–4, 6–3
Loss 20. 9 August 1998 San Diego Hard   Alexandra Fusai   Lindsay Davenport
  Natasha Zvereva
2–6, 1–6
Win 17. 30 August 1998 New Haven Hard   Alexandra Fusai   Mariaan de Swardt
  Jana Novotná
6–1, 6–0
Loss 21. 22 November 1998 Chase Championships Carpet (i)   Alexandra Fusai   Lindsay Davenport
  Natasha Zvereva
7–6(8–6), 5–7, 3–6
Win 18. 14 February 1999 Prostějov Carpet (i)   Alexandra Fusai   Květa Hrdličková
  Helena Vildová
3–6, 6–2, 6–1
Loss 22. 21 February 1999 Hanover Carpet (i)   Alexandra Fusai   Serena Williams
  Venus Williams
7–5, 2–6, 2–6
Loss 23. 9 May 1999 Rome Clay   Alexandra Fusai   Martina Hingis
  Anna Kournikova
2–6, 2–6
Win 19. 16 May 1999 Berlin Clay   Alexandra Fusai   Jana Novotná
  Patricia Tarabini
6–3, 7–5
Loss 24. 22 May 1999 Strasbourg Clay   Alexandra Fusai   Elena Likhovtseva
  Ai Sugiyama
6–2, 6–7(6–8), 1–6
Loss 25. 17 October 1999 Zürich Hard (i)   Natasha Zvereva   Lindsay Davenport
  Rennae Stubbs
2–6, 2–6
Loss 26. 6 February 2000 Tokyo Carpet (i)   Alexandra Fusai   Martina Hingis
  Mary Pierce
4–6, 1–6
Win 20. 24 June 2000 Eastbourne Grass   Ai Sugiyama   Lisa Raymond
  Rennae Stubbs
2–6, 6–3, 7–6(7–3)
Win 21. 20 August 2000 Montreal Hard   Martina Hingis   Julie Halard-Decugis
  Ai Sugiyama
6–3, 3–6, 6–4
Win 22. 30 September 2000 Luxembourg Carpet (i)   Alexandra Fusai   Lubomira Bacheva
  Cristina Torrens Valero
6–3, 7–6(7–0)
Loss 27. 22 October 2000 Linz Carpet (i)   Ai Sugiyama   Amélie Mauresmo
  Chanda Rubin]
4–6, 4–6
Loss 28. 11 February 2001 Paris Carpet (i)   Kimberly Po   Iva Majoli
  Virginie Razzano
3–6, 5–7
Loss 29. 18 February 2001 Nice Carpet (i)   Kimberly Po   Émilie Loit
  Anne-Gaëlle Sidot
6–1, 2–6, 0–6
Win 23. 31 March 2001 Key Biscayne Hard   Arantxa Sánchez Vicario   Lisa Raymond
  Rennae Stubbs
6–0, 6–4
Loss 30. 17 June 2001 Birmingham Grass   Kimberly Po-Messerli   Cara Black
  Elena Likhovtseva
1–6, 2–6
Win 24. 12 August 2001 Los Angeles Hard   Kimberly Po-Messerli   Nicole Arendt
  Caroline Vis
6–3, 7–5
Loss 31. 9 September 2001 US Open Hard   Kimberly Po-Messerli   Lisa Raymond
  Rennae Stubbs
2–6, 7–5, 5–7
Win 25. 30 September 2001 Leipzig Carpet (i)   Elena Likhovtseva   Květa Hrdličková
  Barbara Rittner
6–4, 6–2
Loss 32. 16 June 2002 Birmingham Grass   Kimberly Po-Messerli   Shinobu Asagoe
  Els Callens
4–6, 3–6

ITF finalsEdit

Singles (3–0)Edit

Legend
$50,000 tournaments
$25,000 tournaments
$10,000 tournaments
Outcome No. Date Tournament Surface Opponent Score
Winner 1. 30 March 1987 Limoges, France Clay   Regina Rajchrtová 6–1, 2–6, 6–1
Winner 2. 9 December 1991 Val-d'Oise, France Hard   Isabelle Demongeot 3–6, 6–3, 6–1
Winner 3. 7 December 1992 Val-d'Oise, France Hard   Christina Singer 6–3, 6–3

Doubles (2–2)Edit

Outcome No. Date Tournament Surface Partner Opponents Score
Runner-up 1. 11 June 1984 Lyon, France Clay   Isabelle Demongeot   Mercedes Paz
  Ronni Reis
6–1, 3–6, 3–6
Runner-up 2. 31 December 1984 Chicago, United States Hard   Isabelle Demongeot   Lynn Lewis
  Wendy Barlow
6–4, 6–7, 5–7
Winner 3. 21 January 1985 San Antonio, United States Hard   Isabelle Demongeot   Elisabeth Ekblom
  Marianne van der Torre
6–3, 6–4
Winner 4. 30 March 1987 Limoges, France Clay   Isabelle Demongeot   Céline Cohen
  Eva Krapl
7–5, 6–2

Grand Slam performance timelinesEdit

Key
W  F  SF QF #R RR Q# DNQ A NH
(W) winner; (F) finalist; (SF) semifinalist; (QF) quarterfinalist; (#R) rounds 4, 3, 2, 1; (RR) round-robin stage; (Q#) qualification round; (DNQ) did not qualify; (A) absent; (NH) not held; (SR) strike rate (events won / competed); (W–L) win–loss record.

SinglesEdit

Tournament 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 Career SR Career win–loss
Australian Open A A NH A A A A A A 4R 1R A A A A A 2R A 0 / 3 4–3
French Open 1R 3R 2R 4R 4R 1R 4R QF 4R 3R 2R 3R 2R 3R 1R 2R 3R 1R 0 / 18 30–18
Wimbledon A LQ 2R 2R 2R 1R 4R 4R QF 4R 3R 3R 3R QF F QF 1R QF 0 / 16 40–16
US Open A LQ 1R 2R 2R 3R 4R 1R 2R 4R 2R 3R 2R 1R 4R 3R QF 4R 0 / 16 27–16
SR 0 / 1 0 / 1 0 / 3 0 / 3 0 / 3 0 / 3 0 / 3 0 / 3 0 / 3 0 / 4 0 / 4 0 / 3 0 / 3 0 / 3 0 / 3 0 / 3 0 / 4 0 / 1 0 / 53 101–53
Year-end ranking 296 112 66 25 26 25 18 13 14 18 35 27 22 11 10 7 10 13

DoublesEdit

Tournament 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 Career SR
Australian Open A A NH A A A A A A 3R 2R A A A A A 2R A A A 0 / 3
French Open A 1R 3R QF 3R 3R SF 3R QF QF SF QF 3R SF QF SF SF QF 2R 1R 0 / 19
Wimbledon A 3R 1R 2R 3R 1R 3R 3R 3R 2R 3R 3R 2R 3R 2R 2R 2R SF QF A 0 / 18
US Open A 2R 1R 1R 1R 3R 2R 3R 3R 2R 1R QF 1R QF 2R 3R 3R F A A 0 / 17
SR 0 / 0 0 / 3 0 / 3 0 / 3 0 / 3 0 / 3 0 / 3 0 / 3 0 / 3 0 / 4 0 / 4 0 / 3 0 / 3 0 / 3 0 / 3 0 / 3 0 / 4 0 / 3 0 / 2 0 / 1 0 / 57
Year-end ranking 272 85 63 40 28 28 18 38 61 29 22 20 14 13 7 14 9 5 105 397

See alsoEdit

ReferencesEdit

  1. ^ Parsons, John (March 2000). The Official Wimbledon Annual 1999. Pelican Publishing. pp. 122–. ISBN 9781565547148. Retrieved 13 March 2012.
  2. ^ "Nathalie Tauziat". www.itftennis.com. International Tennis Federation.
  3. ^ Haylett, Trevor (28 June 1995). "Tauziat reclaims the tricolore from Pierce". The Independent. Archived from the original on 18 June 2022. Retrieved 25 June 2021.
  4. ^ "Wimbledon's top 50 women players of all time". The Telegraph. 30 June 2018. Retrieved 18 July 2020.

External linksEdit