By Bill Simons
So, does Eugenie Bouchard have a shot at winning this Wimbledon title?
There is nobody in the world she can’t beat on a given day, period. All we focus on is the match she’s playing, and the other person. We know their tendencies, but there is very little emphasis on the other person.
That was another great performance today by Bouchard. She plays with such a sense of urgency.
The goal is for her to play every point, every shot, as well as she can, with absolutely no errors.
You have seen the mentally tough greats of our game—Chrissie Evert, Monica Seles, Serena, Sharapova. Compare Genie, and talk about where her toughness comes from.
She is a determined, hard working, committed, world-class athlete. She is determined to be the best she can be. She’s relentless in that pursuit, and that’s something we naturally cultivated.
You played for Stanford, were on the ATP Tour, and coached for the USTA. Is Nick Saviano having more fun than ever? After all these years, what’s it like to mentor a superb, world-class talent?
My personal philosophy, which I never deviate from, is that when you work with a young person, it’s a sacred trust—a sacred trust to the child and to the parent.
So, my goal is always is to do what’s in the best interest of the child. [Genie’s] not a child now, but I still have the same feeling. It’s an honor and privilege to work with her. It’s a joy.
What does a sacred trust mean?
It means you are genuinely always looking out for what’s best for that child. In your heart and soul, you have to know you are always going to do the best for that child.
Some insist this is just a business. Well it’s not. I say, “Darn it, it’s not just a business.” When you work with young people, you have to have a higher standard, because those children and their parents are looking to you for guidance, and you must honor that. That’s why I have been blessed with a lot of long-term relationships in this business—people who I’m still close with, who have gone on to huge things—and they’re still family to me. There is a special joy watching Genie play because of the closeness that’s evolved over the years. It’s a privilege. I understand I’m skilled in what I do, but I also know that am blessed to be able to work with very special people.
You’re sitting there in the greatest tennis arena in this world. Your student is coming back in the second set. The crowd’s into it—such a fabulous scene. What goes through your mind?
It’s the whole scene really. I told her before the match, “Genie, what I want to happen in this match is not that I want you to win. I want you to go out and play as well as you can.” That’s the goal in every match she plays. When she’s doing that, I enjoy it, win or lose. Obviously, you always like to see them win. I have so much confidence in her. If she goes out and plays every point and every ball the best she can—if she fights and competes—I know she will have a fabulous career.
Talk about her match management, her ability to hit close to the lines. Today, she hadn’t broken all match, then when she really needed to, she stepped up and did it.
She’s doing a great job staying in the moment. When you do that, you keep pushing, pushing, pushing and then the other player really feels it and senses that you are never letting up. Genie was in a match against Hantuchova, and Daniela was up 5-6 and 40-0 and thought she could relax. But no. Because the next thing you knew, Genie won five points in a row, and the match was over.
Genie has an incredible string of victories over top 20 players. Is that just about focus?
That’s part of it. She is considerably better today here at Wimbledon than she was at the French. She’s hitting a better ball now. She’s constantly working.
Do you mean six days a week?
I’m talking about constantly looking to improve every aspect of her game. She’s relentless, I’m relentless.
Her backhand is incredibly solid, but maybe the forehand is a touch more explosive. Analyze the two.
Actually she is rock solid on both, and she is explosive with power on both. If she was a boxer, I’d say she’s got knockout power on both sides.
How do you think she’s improving, not only from the French, but going back to earlier this year, when she did so well Australia?
She is a different player than in Australia. She’s much better than then. Her levels are better. She’s working hard physically. She’s stronger, faster, quicker, and she’s striking with better quality on both sides. She is serving considerably better, her second serve has improved significantly, and her transition is better, her return is better. It sounds like I’m just trying to talk somebody up, but every aspect is better.
I have to ask you about the incident at the French Open [at the end of a practice session going into her match with Maria Sharapova, Bouchard bashed a ball out of the court].
We laughed about that literally five minutes later, and were talking because we knew what it was about. People don’t know what it was about. She thought it was the funniest thing when they tried to make it an issue. Nobody heard 95 percent of the discussion; they heard one half of one of the last lines. We have a relationship built on mutual respect and it is a cooperative relationship. Of course, her input is absolutely critical and we cultivate that.
Years ago, did you have a “Wow” moment when you thought, “Hey, this little girl is really special”?
I first had a chance to meet Genie when she was twelve. She worked really hard, and she was getting better and all that. I know she was good, But then, I had Sloane Stephens. and Laura Robson had been there, [and] Mallory Burdette and Monica Puig.
But when she was 14, she won an ITF tournament, and I remember saying, “Okay, she’s showing us something.” She was able to take what I showed her and apply it. That’s a skill, a talent. What I will say is that people simply don’t understand what a tremendous athlete she is. They don’t get it.
Is that because she’s such a pretty girl?
They don’t understand because she’s not as flashy as, say, Sloane Stephens in terms of raw speed. Genie is incredibly coordinated, incredibly able to pick up things. She is a tremendous athlete. She’s one of the best athletes I have ever coached.
