OMNIUM BANQUE NATIONALE

August 5, 2025

Nathalie Tauziat

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Questions in English.

Q. What is it about Victoria's game, you think, that separates her from many other rising, young stars?

NATHALIE TAUZIAT: Young stars?

Q. Rising players. What is it in Victoria's game that separates her from the other rising players on the tour?

NATHALIE TAUZIAT: I think she believes in herself. I think also she have the power maybe more. She have a very good serve. Not a lot of players have a good serve. She like to learn. She like to improve. So I think it's important.

I don't know what is exactly her goal, but so far every time she enter the court, it's for win. That's important.

Q. In the past we have seen other rising players reach high levels of play at a young age, but not necessarily able to sustain that over their career. How do you see Victoria's future?

NATHALIE TAUZIAT: It's complicate to say because right now, of course, her standing is going to change, with the players first. After, as I say, some players who rise very high level young, sometimes they lost the priority.

So what is going to be very important for Vicky is to keep the priority of tennis first over many thing around. I think it would be very important for her to stay, and some players doesn't do that.

You can go up, but if you're not continue to progress and work hard, I mean, you can go down very quickly.

Q. How impressed are you with how Vicky has handled the added spotlight and becoming the tournament's headliner? I mean, you talked about even her opponents are taking notice. Has she surprised you this week with how she's handled all that?

NATHALIE TAUZIAT: Not really. I mean, I think she make a decision in November-December by herself to come back with us. It's her decision, and I think she respect her decision. Since the beginning of the year, she's really focused on what she has to do. Today she have the results of that.

I don't know if her, she's surprised or not, but she doesn't show anything like that. She's really focused on what she has to do. She want to continue. So far she concentrate on her tennis.

Outside of the court she smile same, she's the same person. So I think she manage good so far.

Q. Nathalie, when you're playing Rybakina for the second time in two weeks, how much could you learn from what happened two weeks ago, and what is the challenge of playing somebody so quickly again?

NATHALIE TAUZIAT: I don't know if she's better this week than Washington, but she have maybe more confidence, Vicky, so it can help.

But Rybakina play really good so far. I mean, I know she play very fast, very hard, so it's going to be tough.

But the thing she have more than Rybakina this week is the public, so it can change maybe something. We'll see. We will see, but I'm sure the public will be behind Vicky.

So compared to Washington, it's going to be a big issue. She knows what she have to do. I mean, she have to return. It's not so easy, but she have to return first, and after she have to be very fast.

I mean, Rybakina, she's not going to give one point, and she's not going to change her game because she play Vicky.

Q. I wonder if you could speak about her mental game, like her composure and her resilience. She was broken early in that second set yesterday, and it didn't seem to phase her very much. She just bounced right off and seemed to forget about it. Why is she so strong mentally at just 18 years old?

NATHALIE TAUZIAT: Well, I think what's help her to be strong at that kind of match, I mean, since the beginning of the year, she win so many matches. So it give you a lot of confidence. It's not because you are one break down that you have to be in panic.

I think she knows she broke the girls before to win the set, the first set. So she managed good. She come back good with the return first.

I think what is important also for her is to see us not panic when something happen. I remember at the beginning of the year, she always told me, Oh, you're so calm during the match. I say, You know what, it's just a match. I mean, I can help you, but if I show you I am on panic myself, I mean, it's going to be worse for you, so why do you want me to panic? I'm not panicking. It's just a match, and I'm here to help you.

So I think if also all the team stay calm and help her the most we can, she's not panicking. The way also she's winning since the beginning of the year, as I said, I mean, she plays so many matches, that she can manage that kind of thing right now be.

Q. Is she also playing Cincinnati before the US Open?

NATHALIE TAUZIAT: We don't know yet. She's in. She's in. She's in the draw, but you know, she play tomorrow semifinal, so we staying present, and we see what's going on.

Q. (Off microphone). I know you're focusing on the present, but are you also having any expectations?

NATHALIE TAUZIAT: I just said that. I just said that after Roland Garros when we do the schedule until US Open, we say it was one of the objectives. So of course, it's the last Grand Slam of the year. I mean, it's objective. For the way she play right now, we know maybe she can do something good, you know?

But as here, as maybe Cincinnati, we going to take match by match. We want her to worry about the US Open 100%, no injury, nothing. So for sure after here, we have to think maybe to manage the schedule again. But so far, she's in Cincinnati.

The match she won yesterday, now she's in the main draw. She was in quallies, so if she lost yesterday, she wasn't going to Cincinnati, but she won yesterday. So now she's in main draw, so she has more chance to play Cincinnati.

So far today I told you she's in Cincinnati, but maybe tomorrow I'm going to say something else. So I don't know.