Bartoli May Eventually Return To Playing Tennis

Written by: Bob Larson Tennis on 26th August 2013

Bartoli May Eventually Return To Playing Tennis

epa03825119 (FILE) A file picture dated 28 June 2011 ofMarion Bartoli of France returns to Sabine Lisicki of Germany during their quarter final match for the Wimbledon Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis Club, in London, Britain. According to media reports on 15 August 2013, Marion Bartoli has announced her retirement. EPA/STEFAN WERMUTH / POOL |

When Marion Bartoli announced her retirement from tennis just 40 days after winning the Wimbledon ladies singles title, there was a widespread belief that it would only be temporary and the Frenchwoman would return to the game in time to defend her title next year.

Now 28 year-old Bartoli, in New York for the US Open and a newly commissioned television analyst for the Eurosport channel, has softened her stance on a possible comeback to never-say-never.

Bartoli has not requested for her name to be removed from the WTA rankings so as the year’s concluding Grand Slam tournament commences she is a non-playing world no.7. And speaking in Manhattan press conference she admitted: “’You never know what’s going to happen. I’m still in the rankings and I think I will be there until the end of the year and then we will see. It’s pretty hard to say I will never come back.”

When announcing her retirement, Bartoli cited playing in continuous pain from a variety of injuries but in the space of just a couple of weeks any agony now seems to have been banished to the back of her memory. Talking of a possible comeback, she expanded: “I think it will probably come from me – my deep desire to remake it or not.

“It’s really hard for someone outside to understand, starting from six years old when you have to hit probably two million balls before becoming a pro tennis player, and everything you have to go through.

“I’m someone who is not trying to repeat the sort of emotion I lived at Wimbledon because obviously it’s a quest for something that’s impossible. I’m someone who is really pleased with something very simple. As long as I’m waking up every morning feeling one of the happiest people on this planet, that is the most important thing.”

If she doesn’t make a comeback in the early months of 2014, Bartoli insisted she will most certainly be seated in the Royal Box on Wimbledon’s Centre Court at precisely 1pm on the second day of the All England Club Championships – the appointed time for the defending Ladies Champion to begin her defence. And she will be happy for finalist Sabine Lisicki to take the honor.

“’I think I will be totally happy for Sabine,” said Bartoli. “First because she is a great friend of mine, second because I have nothing to regret, and because the name that is on the 2013 Wimbledon trophy is mine.”

Topics: 10sballs.com, Bartoli, Tennis, US Open, Wimbledon, Wta

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davebending22 says:

August 26, 2013 at 7:43 am

RT @10sBalls_com: Bartoli May Eventually Return To Playing Tennis: When Marion Bartoli announced her retirement from tenn… http://t.co/mV…