Bartoli is unlikely to have won Wimbledon in 2013. become one of the most unexpected Wimbledon champions. At the moment of the match, cameras captured her genuine shock as her ace tossed the chalk into the air. They then followed her into the stands to embrace her father, Walter, who had given up his medical career to train her since childhood.
Today, this quiet memory of that year — away from the crowds, on a day of rest that used to break the rhythm of the tournament — remains one of her favorites.
< p>This was when mid-Sunday remained a sacred sanctuary from the match. The area was eerily quiet, giving players a chance to take a breath and take a walk. As the warm evening approached, Bartoli booked his last seat in one of the physiotherapy rooms in the building adjoining the Central Court. In the next room was Andy Murray, who was only a week away from the end of Britain's 77-year wait for the men's title. According to Bartoli, this meeting of future winners seemed as happy as it is now.
“It's something completely behind the scenes, but it's the absolute truth,” she says. “Andy had a physical therapy session, I had mine. We were leaving at the same time and my physical therapist was talking to Andy. Both of them said to each other, “I think we have two Wimbledon champions right here.” It was only the middle of Sunday.”
Murray bore the suffocating pressure of Britain's drought in the men's singles. Bartoli, on the other hand, diligently worked her way through the draw without fanfare or fuss.
Did she believe that the prediction could come true? “I was like, 'OK, maybe Andy, but not me,'” she laughs. “Of course, the draw has started to open up for me, but it's still a long way off.”
She has never won a major tournament and Wimbledon 2013 was her 47th attempt. In addition, she had a shoulder injury. Bartoli had reached the final six years earlier, nerves getting the better of her in a straight set loss to Venus Williams. Few would have guessed that this double-handed tennis freak would one day lift the trophy.
Bartoli became famous for her unorthodox two-handed shot on right. Photo: Heathcliff O'Malley
Somehow she succeeded. Under the tutelage of coach Amelie Mauresmo, she did not miss a single set in the entire tournament. When fellow finalist Sabina Lisicki, who knocked out defending champion Serena Williams, broke down, Bartoli seized the opportunity. She was only the third seed outside the top 10 to win the title.
Sitting in the busy player hall at Roland Garros during the French Open, Bartoli smiled as she remembered her triumph. Warmly welcomed by a succession of fellow players and pundits, France's latest big winner is a woman in her element.
Most Wimbledon champions would describe their crowning moment as fateful. Bartoli describes it as saving a life. A few weeks after the victory, she retired at the age of 28 due to chronic shoulder pain.
Thrown into a life without tennis, she entered an abusive romantic relationship and fell into a mental health crisis and a battle with anorexia that nearly killed her. Her weight dropped to 41 kg. “Despite the fact that you were able to achieve something on the court, as a person, when you are constantly humiliated, it gets into your head,” she says of her ex.
“You start believing, 'Maybe I wasn't that good. Maybe I'm too chubby. Maybe I'm not doing it right.” You start to doubt more and more to the point where you feel it doesn't make sense anymore.”
Now Bartoli speaks with such confidence that it's hard to imagine her self-esteem being so devastatingly suppressed. But for years, she has been in denial about her eating disorder and has struggled to talk about the harm her ex has caused.
She says her win at Wimbledon has always kept her going. “It’s a no-give-up mentality,” she says, her eyes suddenly gleaming. “As a champion, you have to be stubborn and believe in what you are doing until you achieve what you want. I think for me it was that stubbornness, the refusal to give up my life, because at some point I was so depressed that I felt that life had no meaning for me. ”
Now Bartoli is back to her quirky and lively personality. She has a two-year-old daughter, is married to a supportive partner, and is a well-respected broadcaster who will reportedly become one of Sky Sports' top experts once tennis is taken over by the company in the fall.
In recent years, Bartoli has embarked on a successful television career. Photo: Getty Images/Jean Catuffe
The turning point in her life came in 2016 when medical staff banned her from the Wimbledon Legends Tournament over fears that she might develop heart failure. This prompted her to seek help and even return two years later to help her recover.
“Tennis really saved me. Just being on the court, where I felt comfortable, surrounded by people who wanted the best for me, helped me to rebuild mentally. People say, “You tried [to come back] and failed,” but it's not a failure at all. The goal was not to get me back on the court to play professionally, but to bring me back to life.”
The scrutiny she faced for her unsettling appearance was also nothing new to her. Broadcaster John Inverdale caused a media storm when he told BBC Radio 5 Live listeners before the 2013 final that Bartoli was “never going to be handsome”. She accepted the ridicule even working with him in the commentary booth the following year, but says her TV experience has taught her women to still judge their appearance.
“I think the mentality has evolved since then.” ever since I was a player, into something much bigger, based on any job you can do, and not on appearance – finally,” she says, praising her employer Prime Video.
“But I still hear some comments [on other channels] saying, “Maybe she's not the best, but she looks good.” It does not make sense. You would never say that about a man, ever, and it still drives me crazy. We still have a lot to do.”
Wimbledon 2013 is different. As she prepares to return to the All England Club this summer, the breakthrough is still keeping her going. “I remember every second, every delay due to rain, almost every point played,” she says. “During those two weeks, I really felt like I could fly, like I could conquer the world.”
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