It has been nearly 5 years since Marion Bartoli made the shocking announcement of her retirement, just weeks after her only victory at Wimbledon in 2013. Despite the years being away, the 33-year old is confident that she can return to the top.
Bartoli believes that the level of tennis in 2013 is not that much different than today. Although it has made some improvements, she believes that she will be able to match it still.
Intent on making a comeback, Bartoli has been training since October, and will make her first appearance on court on Monday. She will be playing at an exhibition event that will be held in New York. For her comeback tournament, she plans to make an appearance at the Miami Open which will start soon.
When asked about her training, Bartoli stated, “It’s been going great so far… I’ve been enjoying the process of getting back into shape and being on the court and practicing. Of course I can’t wait to be back on the court playing my first match.”
Previously, Bartoli had been plagued with injuries including a shoulder injury and an Achilles problem. At the time of her retirement, Bartoli felt as though her body could no longer play tennis at the highest level.
Throughout the following years, Bartoli also had to deal with psychological and physical issues. Her relationship with a boyfriend since 2014 proved to be challenging for her.
“I let myself be destroyed by someone… Every day he would tell me I was fat. Every day. He would see a thin girl on the street and tell me: ‘See how skinny and pretty she is.’”
As a result, Bartoli lost a lot of weight and was very sick to the point of fearing for her life. Despite an attempt to make an earlier comeback, Wimbledon barred her from playing at an invitation event amid fears for her well-being. Since then, Bartoli vowed to resume her career if she made a full recovery.
“I’m not rushing,” said Bartoli. “I’m going to take my time. I’ll only come back when I feel 100 per cent. I’m not going to rush and play at half my level. That’s not necessary for me. I really want to come back and play at my best.”
Aside from the tournament in New York, Bartoli plans to win another Grand Slam title, help France win the Fed Cup, and possibly play in the 2020 Olympics.
“I’m going to try my hardest… I don’t know where it’s going to take me, but that doesn’t really matter for me. That’s not the most important thing. It’s about feeling alive again,” shared Bartoli.
