Marion Bartoli Admits It Was Her Dad Who Ended Their Coaching Relationship

Written by: Staff on 25th April 2013

Marion Bartoli Admits It Was Her Dad Who Ended Their Coaching Relationship

epa03620768 Marion Bartoli of France returns a shot during her match against Sara Errani of Italy at the BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament in Indian Wells, California, USA, 12 March 2013. Errani won the match. EPA/PAUL BUCK |

Marion Bartoli has already gone through two coaches since she and her father decided to end their life-long coach-player relationship.Former Wimbledon champion Jana Novotna only lasted one tournament, Indian Wells, while Gerard Bremond only lasted one too, Monterrey.

Bartoli did work with French Fed Cup captain Amelie Mauresmo last week in their win over Kazakhstan and now says that she will be working with her father until a new coach is found.

But she did admit in a recent interview with Tennis Journal that it was actually her father who decided to end their coaching relationship right after the 2012 US Open.

“When I made the quarterfinals of US Open and I became only the third player in French history to reach quarterfinals of all the Grand Slams, I had a feeling,” said Bartoli who reached career high No. 7 in 2012.

“ I was so lucky in my career with him and achieved so much with him I have nothing to regret. He actually told me. My dad has always been very honest and that’s what I love about him and when he felt like he could give more to me he told me I think I can still help and let’s give it a try. But when he felt like couldn’t help me anymore he said maybe it’s time to change something for my best.”

The 28 year old said that she loves her newfound independence some days, but there are others that are very difficult. The world No. 14 has had a dicey year on court as she has yet to win three straight matches and has lost in the first round of her last two events.

“There are moments when I feel very lonely and there are some very tough days and I am getting back to my hotel room and I turn around and say ‘Dad’ and there is no one anymore and in a way it helps me on court mentally,” she said.

A 2007 Wimbledon finalist who plays week in and week out, Bartoli is known as a very hard worker. But in 2012 she began to doubt herself a little and says she wasn’t putting in the hard yards all season. Plus, she’s very tough on herself.

“Last year I felt apart after Miami until the US Open and that was not acceptable,” she said. “French Open and Wimbledon where I lost in the second round, and it was mental. You have to be honest with yourself and have to ask yourself do I give 100 percent every day” And sometimes it’s easy to say maybe 80 percent today, or I’m a bit tired, maybe 70 percent. And when you don’t give 100 percent every day in this kind of tennis, you go down. I had good rebound at the US Open where I played great, but the way I played in China and Australia it not acceptable either.”

©Daily Tennis News Wire

Topics: Amelie Mauresmo, French Fed Cup, Jana Novotna, Marion Bartoli, Sports, Tennis News