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"She really needs to completely recharge her batteries, to re-energise, to come back with new ambitions and goals," Courteau told French daily L'Equipe. "It won't happen in ten days or 15 days."

"It will take as long as it takes. A fortnight? Three weeks? Two months? I don't know."

Asked if that means the world number six could skip the US Open, which starts on August 17 at Flushing Meadows, Courteau said "everything is possible."

"For now, the urgent thing is to cut off to take some holiday. Right now I need the sea, the warm sea. To go off on a boat," Mauresmo said on Sunday after France was eliminated from the Fed Cup by holders Italy 3-2.

On Saturday the French number one lost her critical opening match against Francesca Schiavone in her first action since dropping her Wimbledon title defence in the fourth round to Nicole Vaidisova.

"I need to change my environment a little bit, to leave a little bit the world of tennis. To exit all of this. Moreover, if there had not been the Fed Cup, I would have already been in the break."

"It should be about 15 days long, but if I feel like I need more, well then I'll take more."

Mauresmo has struggled with abductor problems for much of the season after missing most March and April to recover from appendix surgery.

After winning the first two grand slam titles of her career in 2006 at the Australian Open and Wimbledon, the 28-year-old has failed to go beyond the last 16 in any slam this year and has won only one title.

"The first date will of course be the US Open, but I must already start to think about 2008," Mauresmo said.

Jeremy Stahl / Eurosport