Marion Bartoli facts for kids

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Marion Bartoli
Singles
Bartoli at the Valais Cup in 2013
Country (sports)	France
Residence	Geneva, Switzerland
Born	(1984-10-02) 2 October 1984 (age 40) Le Puy-en-Velay, Haute-Loire, France
Height	1.72 m (5 ft 8 in)
Turned pro	February 2000
Retired	14 August 2013
Plays	Right-handed (two-handed both sides)
Prize money	$11,055,114
Career record	490–299 (62.1%)
Career titles	8
Highest ranking	No. 7 (30 January 2012)
Grand Slam singles results
Australian Open	QF (2009)
French Open	SF (2011)
Wimbledon	W (2013)
US Open	QF (2012)
Other tournaments
Tour Finals	RR (2007, 2011)
Doubles
Career record	117–82 (58.79%)
Career titles	3
Highest ranking	No. 15 (5 July 2004)
Grand Slam doubles results
Australian Open	3R (2004, 2005)
French Open	3R (2005, 2006)
Wimbledon	QF (2004)
US Open	SF (2003)
Team competitions
Fed Cup	F (2004)
Hopman Cup	F (2012)

Marion Bartoli (born 2 October 1984) is a French former professional tennis player. She is best known for winning the Wimbledon Championships singles title in 2013. Before that, she was a runner-up at Wimbledon in 2007 and reached the semifinals of the French Open in 2011.

Bartoli had a unique playing style, using both hands for her forehand and backhand shots. She reached her highest ranking of world No. 7 in 2012 and again in 2013 after her Wimbledon win. She also reached the quarterfinals at all four major Grand Slam tournaments. Her Wimbledon victory was special because she won the title without losing a single set, which is a rare achievement.

Early Life and Family

Marion Bartoli was born on October 2, 1984, in Le Puy-en-Velay, France. Her family comes from Corsica, an island in France.

Marion started playing tennis when she was six years old. Her father, Walter, was her first coach. They often practiced on small, uneven courts, even late at night. This helped Marion learn to play well even when there wasn't much space. Her father also created special training methods, like using different sized balls to improve her hand-eye coordination.

In December 2019, Marion married Belgian football player Yahya Boumediene. They welcomed their daughter a year later.

Marion's Unique Playing Style

Bartoli was known for her very strong and unusual way of playing tennis. She hit the ball hard and used both hands on both her forehand and backhand shots. This made her an aggressive player who usually stayed near the back of the court.

Her father, Walter, helped her develop this two-handed style. He was inspired by famous tennis player Monica Seles, who also used two hands. Marion's two-handed forehand became much better after this change. She used her powerful shots to create sharp angles, making it hard for her opponents to return the ball.

While her serve was sometimes seen as a weaker part of her game, her ability to return serves was a major strength. She often stood very close to the baseline to receive serves, even fast ones. This helped her win many points.

Marion wasn't the fastest player on the court, especially with her two-handed strokes. But she made up for it with amazing hand-eye coordination and by guessing where the ball would go next. She also worked hard to improve her fitness throughout her career.

She also had a unique way of serving, using her wrist to create speed. During her Wimbledon win in 2013, she had a very specific routine before serving: no ball-bouncing, arms crossed, and her right wrist resting on her left thumb.

Off the court, Marion had some unusual habits. She would bounce energetically and swing her racket between points. She said this helped her stay focused during her intense matches.

Coaching and Support

Marion's father, Walter, was her coach for most of her tennis career, even though he wasn't a tennis expert at first. He had actually quit his job as a doctor to learn how to coach her! Marion always said their close relationship was real and helped her a lot.

In 2012, she even chose not to play in the Olympics because she wanted her father to be her private coach, which wasn't allowed for the national team.

In 2013, Marion decided to work with new coaches to try and win a Grand Slam title. She worked with physical trainer Nicolas Perrotte and former player Gabriel Urpí. Later, she was coached by former world No. 1 player Amélie Mauresmo. Under Mauresmo's guidance, Marion achieved her dream and won the 2013 Wimbledon Championships!

Tennis Gear

When Marion retired, she was using a Prince EXO 3 Warrior tennis racket. Her rackets were specially made two inches longer than normal ones (29 inches total). This extra length helped her reach more balls with her two-handed strokes. She started using these longer rackets in 2006 and soon won her first tournament.

For many years, she didn't have a clothing sponsor, so she wore Nike clothes. In 2011, she signed a three-year deal with Lotto. Because her hands were small, her rackets had a very tiny grip size.

Marion's Tennis Journey

Starting Out and Early Wins

Marion started playing in professional tournaments when she was 16. In 2001, she won two smaller tournaments, which earned her a spot in her first Grand Slam, the French Open. In 2002, she got to play in the Australian Open and later won her fourth smaller title in the US. At the US Open, she got her first win against a top-100 player.

Reaching New Heights

In 2003, Marion reached her first semifinal on the main WTA Tour. She also made it to the quarterfinals at a big tournament in Key Biscayne, where she played against tennis legend Serena Williams. In doubles, she reached her only Grand Slam semifinal at the US Open.

By 2004, Marion was playing even better. She reached her first WTA semifinal in Auckland and won her first WTA doubles title in Casablanca. She also helped the French Fed Cup team reach the final, which is like the World Cup for women's tennis teams.

First WTA Titles and Grand Slam Final

In 2006, at 21 years old, Marion won her first major title at the Auckland Open in New Zealand. She then won two more singles titles that year, breaking into the top 20 players in the world for the first time.

The year 2007 was a huge one for Marion. She reached her first Grand Slam final at Wimbledon. She even beat the top-seeded player, Justine Henin, in the semifinals! In the final, she played against the famous Venus Williams. Even though she didn't win, she showed everyone how talented she was and rose to world No. 11.

Consistent Success and Major Quarterfinals

Marion continued to play well in the following years. In 2009, she reached the quarterfinals of the Australian Open and won two more titles, including the Stanford Classic where she beat Venus Williams in the final.

In 2011, she had a fantastic year. She reached the semifinals of the French Open and won two more titles in Eastbourne and Osaka. She also had an amazing win against defending champion Serena Williams at Wimbledon, which she called the greatest win of her life. She finished 2011 ranked No. 9 in the world, her best year financially.

In 2012, Marion reached the quarterfinals of the US Open. This meant she had reached the quarterfinals or better at all four Grand Slam tournaments in her career, which is a great achievement!

Wimbledon Champion and Retirement

The year 2013 was the most memorable for Marion. Seeded 15th at Wimbledon, she played incredibly well. She won all her matches without losing a single set, which is very rare. In the final, she defeated Sabine Lisicki to win her first and only Grand Slam title! This was her 47th Grand Slam tournament, making her the player who played the most Grand Slams before winning one.

Just 40 days after her amazing Wimbledon victory, Marion announced her retirement from tennis. She explained that she was in constant pain from injuries throughout her career and her body could no longer handle playing at a professional level. She said, "I made my dream a reality... but now my body just can't cope."

Life After Tennis

After retiring, Marion was recognized for her achievements. In 2013, she was named the RTL Champion of Champions and the L'Équipe Champion of Champions in France.

In 2014, she played for the Austin Aces in the World TeamTennis league. There were rumors in 2015 and 2017 that she might return to professional tennis, but she later said no.

In 2016, Marion faced a serious health challenge due to an unknown virus, but she recovered after receiving treatment.

In December 2017, she announced she would try to come back to the professional tour. She played a short tournament in New York in March 2018 but lost to Serena Williams. However, in June 2018, she announced that ongoing injuries meant she couldn't continue her comeback plans.

Coaching Career

In October 2019, Marion Bartoli started coaching Jeļena Ostapenko, a former French Open champion. Their partnership quickly brought success, with Ostapenko reaching two finals in two weeks and winning a title. Marion helped Ostapenko improve her ranking significantly. Their coaching partnership ended during the COVID-19 pandemic when Marion became pregnant, but she continued to be a part-time coach for Ostapenko after giving birth.

Rivalries

Marion Bartoli vs. Victoria Azarenka

Marion Bartoli and Victoria Azarenka played each other 12 times between 2007 and 2012. Azarenka won nine of these matches. Marion's most notable win against Azarenka was in 2012, when she broke Azarenka's 26-match winning streak at the Miami Open.

Marion Bartoli vs. Jelena Janković

Bartoli and Jelena Janković played nine times from 2005 to 2009. Marion won five of these matches. They had some close matches at Grand Slams, with each winning two. Marion's wins included a match at Wimbledon in 2007 and a victory at the 2009 Australian Open when Janković was ranked world No. 1.

Career Statistics

Grand Slam Tournament Finals

Singles: 2 (1 Title, 1 Runner-up)

Result	Year	Championship	Surface	Opponent	Score
Loss	2007	Wimbledon	Grass	Venus Williams	4–6, 1–6
Win	2013	Wimbledon	Grass	Sabine Lisicki	6–1, 6–4

Grand Slam Singles Performance Timeline

**Key**
W	F	SF	QF	#R	RR	Q#	A	NH

(W) Won; (F) finalist; (SF) semifinalist; (QF) quarterfinalist; (#R) rounds 4, 3, 2, 1; (RR) round-robin stage; (Q#) qualification round; (A) absent; (NH) not held. SR=strike rate (events won/competed)

Tournament	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	SR	W–L
Australian Open	A	A	1R	1R	2R	2R	2R	2R	1R	QF	3R	2R	3R	3R	0 / 12	15–12
French Open	A	1R	1R	2R	1R	1R	2R	4R	1R	2R	3R	SF	2R	3R	0 / 13	16–13
Wimbledon	A	A	A	1R	3R	2R	2R	F	3R	3R	4R	QF	2R	W	1 / 11	29–10
US Open	A	A	3R	1R	2R	3R	3R	4R	4R	2R	2R	2R	QF	A	0 / 11	20–11
Win–loss	0–0	0–1	2–3	1–4	4–4	4–4	5–4	13–4	5–4	8–4	8–4	11–4	8–4	11–2	1 / 47	80–46