Nathalie Tauziat

Former world number three in both singles and doubles, France’s Nathalie Tauziat played professional tennis from 1984 to 2003. During her career Tauziat won the Fed Cup in 1997, reached two Grand Slam finals, competed at three Olympic Games, and earned more than $6.6 million in prize money.

Tauziat was born in Bangui, the capital of the Central African Republic, living there until she was eight before moving to France. After turning professional in 1984 she won her first ITF doubles title the following year, with victory in San Antonio, Texas with her partner Isabelle Demongeot. On the ITF Circuit Tauziat won a further doubles title, also with Demongeot, and three singles titles. On the WTA Tour Tauziat won 25 doubles titles with the first four coming once again with Isabelle Demongeot as her partner. Tauziat also had success with Alexandra Fusai, Julie Halard, and Kimberly Po.

Tauziat competed in the singles and doubles at three consecutive Olympic Games; 1988 Seoul, 1992 Barcelona, and 1996 Atlanta. She again had her best success with Isabelle Demongeot with the pair reaching the quarter-finals in Seoul and Barcelona. At Grand Slams Tauziat finished as the runner-up in the singles at Wimbledon in 1998, losing to Jana Novotná in straight sets. Three years later Tauziat and Kimberly Po-Messerli finished as runners-up in the doubles at the 2001 US Open where they lost to Lisa Raymond and Rennae Stubbs. Tauziat also reached the doubles semi-finals at the French Open on five occasions (1990, 1994, 1997, 1999, 2000) and once at Wimbledon (2001).