Tauziat Refuses To Resign From French Federation

Written by: Bob Larson Tennis on 27th November 2012

Tauziat Refuses To Resign From French Federation

WIM65 - 20010630 - LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM : French Nathalie Tauziat plays a backhand during her third round match against Iroda Tulyaganova of Uzbekistan at the All England Tennis Championships in Wimbledon on Saturday, 30 June 2001. Tauziat, who is playing her last Wimbledon tournament this year, won 6-0, 6-3. EPA PHOTO EPA/MARTYN HAYHOW |

Nathalie Tauziat has refused to bow the French Federation de Tennis’s demands that she should resign from the national body’s management committee following her supportive evidence for former coach Regis de Camaret.

The 70 year-old de Camaret was jailed for eight years after being found guilty of raping two young players aged 12 and 13 years of age following allegations that date back more than two decades.

The former French no.1 and Wimbledon finalist was ordered to resign by FFT director general Gilbert Ysern, who maintained Tauziat’s evidence at the Lyon-staged trial was ‘deeply disturbing.’

However 45 year-old Tauziat, notoriously stubborn and single-minded as a player, shows she has lost none of her characteristic traits. Responding to Ysern’s demands in an interview with the French newspaper Sud Ouest, she maintained: “I will not resign.

“I have two months in office. I have no reason to do so. I did not know that testifying in court was a crime.”

The next elections for the FFT’s management committee take place next February and it seems unlikely that that Tauziat will stand again. But for the time being it seems as though she will stand firm on a point of principle.

“No one should give me lessons,” insisted Tauziat, at the St. Tropez tennis academy she set up in collaboration with de Camaret.