Eugenie Bouchard’s former coach reveals there was a WTA star who ‘begged’ him to work with her

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Eugenie Bouchard’s former coach, Nick Saviano, guided her to a career-best season on the WTA Tour in 2014.

Saviano helped Bouchard record three incredible Grand Slam campaigns that season, with the Canadian reaching back-to-back semifinals at the Australian Open and Roland Garros before making the Wimbledon final.

As well as his stint with Bouchard, the American coach also enjoyed a spell with former US Open champion Sloane Stephens, and spent time with Coco Gauff from 2017 to 2019.

Over the years, Saviano established himself as a top coach and has built his own tennis academy in Florida.

In a recent interview with Florida Tennis, Saviano revealed that in 2018, a WTA star ‘begged’ him to work with her.

Nick Saviano talks about his time coaching Elina Svitolina

The 69-year-old said: “I spent time with [Elina] Svitolina. They asked me to work with her. They wanted me to go back up to the US Open to work with her after coming back down.

“I said I don’t want to do that, and they begged me to go up there. So I did. I went up. I took a look at her and said ‘ok, this is what I think she needs’.

“They wanted her to win major titles and said she can’t get past the quarterfinals. So I said ok, I’ll work with her for two weeks of training, and I’ll go two weeks on the road.

“I didn’t know her, and I don’t like travelling with people I don’t know. The training went great. She’s bright, works hard, talented as heck.

“I explained to her why I tweaked her forehand a little bit and her serve, and I said strategically and tactically you have to change your mindset. As the tournament gets going, you start getting passive and trying to just be solid and consistent.

“I said you can’t do that at major events because the great ones are going to go out after it, and you have to go out after it.

“Well, I worked with her for two weeks, and went to China with her for two weeks. First week, she lost to a young girl named Sabalenka, and then she lost early in the next week, but I couldn’t stay. I wanted to go.

“I don’t like it out on the tour if I don’t know somebody well, where I have a real relationship with them.

“But I really felt her development was good. So I went home, and 10 days later, she won the WTA year-end championships, and that was the only big title she’s ever won.

“I am not taking credit for that at all. She was with a very qualified coach, but what I like to think is that the few things we really worked on stuck with her.”

Elina Svitolina’s run at the 2018 WTA Finals

Svitolina was undefeated at the WTA Finals in 2018, where she clinched the biggest title of her career.

The Ukrainian earned victories over Karolina Pliskova, Caroline Wozniacki, and Petra Kvitova in the round robin to top her group and advance to the knockout stages.

There, she beat Kiki Bertens in the semifinals, before coming back from a set down to overcome Stephens in the title bout and win the year-end trophy.

In the years that followed, Svitolina has yet to emerge victorious again at either a Grand Slam, a WTA 1000 event, or the WTA Finals.