SANEX CHAMPIONSHIPS

October 30, 2001

Nathalie Tauziat

MODERATOR: Questions for Nathalie.

NATHALIE TAUZIAT: Well, I don't know really. No, she was very good. She was highly motivated. I felt the difference.

NATHALIE TAUZIAT: Well, sometimes she had rather deep balls. I didn't get into the match.

NATHALIE TAUZIAT: Yeah, maybe because it was the last event I had to play.

NATHALIE TAUZIAT: Yes, all the time.

NATHALIE TAUZIAT: No. I didn't think it was going to be that hard (tearing up).

NATHALIE TAUZIAT: No, no back problem today.

NATHALIE TAUZIAT: Yeah.

NATHALIE TAUZIAT: This keeps me up, the doubles. We're going to practice. We have some time to do that.

NATHALIE TAUZIAT: This morning I thought it might be the last match of my life.

NATHALIE TAUZIAT: No, you're not.

NATHALIE TAUZIAT: I wanted to think about the match part. I didn't really succeed.

NATHALIE TAUZIAT: "It's over now. You have to think about the doubles."

NATHALIE TAUZIAT: No, I didn't think so. I thought I was going to be cool, kicked back. I thought I was going to say, "It's over now, but it was a good time. It was a nice career. I'm proud about it." It's not there. I thought I would have a good week here, show some good tennis. In a day or two I'll be okay and satisfied with all I did. But right now here , well, I love competition, and I'm mad when I lose that way.

NATHALIE TAUZIAT: She didn't help me really. I'm not blaming her. But she knew that I was a bit depressed and that I had a lot of pressure on me, more than her. She played a good match today. Frankly, she didn't make many mistakes on her forehand. Maybe I didn't play the balls she needed, required to make mistakes.

NATHALIE TAUZIAT: Well, I had made a couple of goals. That was okay. But other matches, no. Well, I decided I wanted to call it this year. It was a good moment physically and mentally. I can't do these events as I used to do them before, one after the other. I have to stop now, not next year. Next year maybe I would be down in a deep hole in agony.

NATHALIE TAUZIAT: Right, that's right. This is quite a different event. This has nothing to do with what we're doing here. My personal career is going to end now, not on the French team because it's not the same thing. I'll be surrounded by teammates, by girls. This is something totally different. Here my personal career with my personal coach and team is over. This is something different. I can thank so many people around me, Regis, for 20 years he gave me everything to get me where I got. I'm deeply in deep gratitude. My physical coach did so much for me, too. My family gave me a lot of support, in good and hard moments. My sponsors for 20 years. My racquet, Babolat, Lacoste, Nike. I've always been with exactly the same people for 15, 20 years. They trusted me. Then you, the journalists, I have to mention you. Sometimes you cracked down on me, then you helped me to get up again. You have to see all this together. You are not 18 years alone on the tour. That's all. I'm glad I'm here this week. Let's not overdo it or exaggerate. I'm glad I'm here. I'm not really hating this week. I came here. It's okay if I lose, but I wanted to play a better match. I might have lost in any tournament today, but I wouldn't have been satisfied. This being the last one, this is especially hard for me. I'm not satisfied the way I played. This is why I'm a bit disappointed. That there's an end one day, that's okay, I decided.