PARIS – Is Nick Saviano surprised that Genie Bouchard struggled so badly during a disastrous 2015 season? The coach pauses for a moment to consider the question.

"No, not terribly surprised, because there were so many expectations and she was pulled in a lot of different directions," he said. "I felt bad for her for a while there. I didn't enjoy seeing her lose like she was losing, but she's recovered from those losses. She's starting to turn her game around. I'm very pleased with the development over the last six weeks. Her game has really come along a great deal."

Saviano has mentored Bouchard since she was 12 and training at his Florida academy. In 2014, Saviano helped the Canadian rise all the way to No. 5 in the world with appearances in the Wimbledon final, French Open semi-final and Australian Open semi-final.

Then, in a shocking move, the pair announced they had split up. Details were scarce. It was billed as a mutual break, but reports suggested Saviano initiated it. 

Bouchard started the next season with a run to the quarter-finals at the Australian Open. Afterwards she formally brought on Sam Sumyk as her new coach. What followed was a nightmare stretch that saw Bouchard lose 15 of 18 matches, including first-round setbacks at the French Open and Wimbledon. It was shortly after the loss at the All-England Club that Bouchard and Sumyk ended their partnership. Sumyk is now working with Garbiñe Muguruza.   

Late in the 2015 season, Bouchard steadied herself with a fourth-round run at the U.S. Open where she was advised by Jimmy Connors. But it wasn't a full-time arrangement. She worked with Thomas Högstedt earlier this season. 

In an interview with TSN last week, Bouchard said she didn't regret splitting with Saviano when she did.

"I learned a lot from the different decisions I made," Bouchard said. "I think it was something that had to happen. If I had never done it then maybe I would constantly look around and question maybe something else would be better. So it's good to have experience working with different people and it makes you realize what you want more and then you know what helps you more."

Saviano, who worked with Sloane Stephens last year, senses that the 22-year-old Bouchard has learned a lot from her struggles.

"Well, I think it's a maturing process," he said. "I have great respect for Genie and I always have — even as a little gal. She's very serious about becoming a great player and she's constantly maturing. I think she should be very pleased with herself. I think she's handling things really well and I'm just here to assist."

It was last month that Bouchard called up Saviano and the two made plans to have dinner together. They chatted and the decision was made that they'd reunite. Their first tournament back together was in Charleston, S.C.

"I'm really happy to be working with Nick again," Bouchard said on Tuesday following her first-round win at the French Open. "He knows me so well. He understands when I'm going through difficulties. He can read me. It's like he's inside my head. So having a kind of partnership like that is really beneficial. I'm really happy with it."

Saviano chuckles when told about Bouchard's comments.

"I don't know if I'm in her mind," he said. "The point is, with any of the athletes, you have to be able to empathize with them and they need to know that you understand where they're coming from.

"Look, it's not easy. They get thrust into stardom at a young age. They got a lot of things going on, a lot of pressure and expectations. I think for the most part she's handled it very well. I'm very proud of her."

Both Bouchard and Saviano have been vague when asked how long they'll work together moving forward. "Well, I'm here at the French," is all Saviano would offer. But if Bouchard continues to enjoy success you'd have to think there's a good chance the relationship will continue.

On Thursday, Bouchard, ranked 47th, will face the No. 8 seed Timea Bacsinszky of Switzerland, who made it to the French Open semi-finals last year. The second-round match will be played on the biggest stage at Roland Garros: Court Philippe-Chatrier. Bacsinszky beat Bouchard in their only previous WTA meeting earlier this season in Indian Wells, but it was a tough three-set affair.  

"I'm excited," Bouchard said. "I want a rematch from Indian Wells. I know she plays great, especially on this surface, I think, but I'm going to go for it. I know with my game that I can definitely come out on top."

"Genie is well aware of every aspect of this gal's game," Saviano said, striking a similarly confident tone. "We've gone over that so there will be no surprises for Genie when she goes on the court."

Last season, Bouchard was overwhelmed. She expected to build on the success of 2014, but instead crumbled under the intense pressure. Saviano said much of their prep right now is focused on the smaller details and tuning out the white noise, which seemed to swallow Bouchard up in 2015. 

"You have to have the subtle distinction between focusing on everything you can control and zero in on that and have the courage to let go of all the things you can't," Saviano explained. "That helps create flow in the athlete so that they can go out and be everything they can be. Once they get consumed with thinking about results, trying to guarantee the results, trying to guarantee appeasing everyone else, that's when a great performer, a great athlete plays with a little fear and anxiety and that makes it impossible for them to play up to their potential."