Wimbledon champion Bartoli announces retirement from tennis

Published August 15th, 2013 - 03:12 GMT
Al Bawaba
Al Bawaba

Marion Bartoli, the surprise ladies champion at last month's Wimbledon championships, announced her retirement from tennis Wednesday.

Bartoli, 28, lost to Simona Halep in the second round of the Western & Southern Open Wednesday and then said at her post-match news conference she was quitting the game.

My body just can't do it anymore, she said. "I've been through a lot of injuries since the start of the year and I left it all at Wimbledon.

I really felt I gave all the energy I have left in my body there. I made a dream a reality and it will stay with me forever.

Bartoli, born in France and now a resident of Switzerland, retires as the seventh-ranked player in the world.

She marched through her seven Wimbledon victories this year without losing a set, although the highest-ranked player she had to face in the upset-filled tournament was No. 17 Sloane Stephens.

Bartoli defeated Stephens in the quarterfinals, then downed No. 20 Kirsten Flipkens in the semifinals. She was a 6-1, 6-4 winner in the championship match over No. 23 Sabine Lisicki, who had eliminated world No. 1 Serena Williams in the fourth round.

She won eight WTA Tour events in her career and finishes with a 490-299 match record.

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