Marion Bartoli: Vive La Différence

Written by: Staff on 8th July 2013

Marion Bartoli: Vive La Différence

epa03778177 Marion Bartoli of France celebrates with the trophy after her victory over Sabine Lisicki of Germany in the women's final for the Wimbledon Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis Club, in London, Britain, 06 July 2013. EPA/POOL |

New Wimbledon champion Marion Bartoli has always marched to the beat of her own drummer: she has odd looking strokes and exhibits a number of quirks while preparing for points, such as constantly jumping up and down and taking rapid practice swings even when she appeared to be exhausted.

Up until this season the now 28 year old, traveled everywhere with her father and coach Walter, even though many suggested that she hire another coach and try and break away from her parent. She refused to play Fed Cup without him around, which cost her a spot on the Olympic team. While other players went shopping and dancing, she painted landscapes.

It appears now that the Frenchwoman’s route was the only true road for her as she achieved a life-long dream in winning the 2013 Wimbledon title.

“It’s always been a part of my personality to be different,” she said. “I think being just like the other one is kind of boring. I really embrace the fact of being a bit different and doing something that not everyone is absolutely doing. I actually love that part of my game, being able to have something different. At the end of the day, when the spectators were looking at 10 matches they will remember this girl that was doing something different, playing inside the court or whatever.

I like to have fun outside the court and I think I’m pretty easy to deal with but when I’m on the court I want to win so badly I can be pretty mean. But otherwise, I’m just easy going.”

Bartoli also vowed that she has no plans to change, even though the amount of media and sponsor requests for her presence will be enormous.

“Tomorrow I will go to coffee shop, stand in line, wait and pay for my coffee and do normal stuff like everyone is doing and that’s totally fine with me,” she said.

Bartoli was at odds with the French Tennis Federation for most of her career, but after Amelie Mauresmo was hired as Fed Cup captain, she began to repair her relationship with the top brass and now she has nothing but praise for them. FFT physio Antonin Mouchet and physical trainer Nicolas Perrotte aided her at Wimbledon, as did Mauresmo who served as her quasi coach alongside her hitting partner Thomas Drouet

“I received a lot of support from my Federation. Seeing my president [Jean Gachassin] in tears waiting at the end of the match means so much for me,” she said. “The vice president was here as well. They both told me I was an inspiration for all the girls in the French Federation. I actually received a lot of texts from them telling me how proud they were of me, how much they want to look at me now and have the same kind of attitude.”

Mauresmo has played a key role in helping convince Bartoli that she could expand her support group and her social circle. Never one to socialize much with other players, Bartoli is now hanging around with two-time Grand Slam champion Mauresmo and Fed Cup team mates Kristina Mladenovic and Alize Cornet.

“Hard work, intensity, fun and easy going, these things can go together,” Mauresmo said. “That’s what I’m trying to put in Fed Cup and also around her. How things got together, with everyone being a specialist in their areas made a big difference,”

©Daily Tennis News Wire

Topics: Fed Cup, French tennis news, Marion Bartoli, Wimbledon Champioships