The 21st century
France · born Le Puy-en-Velay, 1984 · two hands on both sides · Wimbledon champion 2013
All playersBack to the rankings
1
Wimbledon singles title, 2013
2
Wimbledon singles finals, 2007 and 2013
0
Sets dropped at Wimbledon in 2013
47
Major appearances before her first title, a record
7
Career-high WTA ranking, January 2012
Born in Le Puy-en-Velay on 2 October 1984, Bartoli was taught by her father, Walter, a doctor, who coached her from the age of six until their split in February 2013. She turned professional in 2000, made her Fed Cup debut for France in 2004 and won eight WTA singles titles and three in doubles, reaching a career-high ranking of No. 7 in January 2012. Her best major results came at Wimbledon: the final in 2007 and the title in 2013, with Amélie Mauresmo as her coach. She retired in August 2013, about six weeks after that win, saying her body could no longer cope. A comeback announced in December 2017 was called off in June 2018. She later coached Jeļena Ostapenko.
| Wimbledon singles | Champion 2013; runner-up 2007; quarter-final 2011; fourth round 2010; third round 2004, 2008, 2009; second round 2005, 2006, 2012; first round 2003 |
|---|---|
| Wimbledon finals | 2007: lost to Venus Williams 4-6, 1-6. 2013: beat Sabine Lisicki 6-1, 6-4 in 67 minutes, closing the match with an ace |
| Wimbledon 2007 semi-final | As 18th seed, beat the top seed and world No. 1 Justine Henin 1-6, 7-5, 6-1, from 1-3 down in the second set |
| Wimbledon 2013 | Seeded 15th, she won seven matches without losing a set or playing a tiebreak. The title came on her 47th major appearance, beating Jana Novotná's record of 45 |
| Other grass titles | Eastbourne 2011, beating Petra Kvitová 6-1, 4-6, 7-5 in the final |
| Wimbledon 2011 | Beat Serena Williams in the fourth round on the way to the quarter-final, a win she called the greatest of her life |
| Wimbledon | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Women's singles | |
| Eastbourne | ||
| 2011 | Women's singles | |
Leading grass titles only: the grass majors, tour-level grass events since 1968 and the leading grass championships before 1968. †single source; ‡ sources disagree. Roll of champions
"I am not blonde, yes. That is a fact. Have I dreamt about having a model contract? No. I'm sorry. But have I dreamed about winning Wimbledon? Absolutely, yes."
The person behind the player.
Le Puy-en-Velay, 1990s
Walter Bartoli, a doctor who had never been a tennis player, taped tennis balls to the heels of her shoes so she stayed on her toes, and used balls of different colours and sizes to sharpen her eye. At seven and a half she watched Seles beat Graf in the 1992 French Open final and switched to a two-handed backhand.
Source: Associated Press, via The Philippine StarWimbledon 2007 · Semi-final
A set and 1-3 down to Justine Henin, she found her focus in the Royal Box, where the actor Pierce Brosnan, one of her favourite actors, was cheering for her. She won 1-6, 7-5, 6-1. Brosnan missed the final for a wedding but sent her a message of support and a signed photograph.
Source: Irish ExaminerWimbledon 2011 · Fourth round
Four years after her first final, she beat Serena Williams at the All England Club, a result she described as the greatest win of her life. It was also the year she won her one other grass title, at Eastbourne, beating Petra Kvitová in three sets in the final.
Source: WikipediaWimbledon 2013 · Final
Before the final she napped and danced to music in the locker room. When Sabine Lisicki took a bathroom break, Bartoli ran out to hop on the spot, do deep knee bends and swing her racquet. She served with crossed arms and no bounce of the ball, and closed the 67-minute final with a love service game and a 101 mph ace.
Source: Associated Press, via The Philippine StarWimbledon 2013 · After the final
On BBC radio, John Inverdale suggested her father had told her she would never be a looker. Bartoli replied that she had dreamed of winning Wimbledon, not of a model contract, and that sharing the moment with her father was what mattered. Inverdale called his phrase clumsy and wrote to her to apologise; the BBC apologised too.
Source: NPR, via WRVOCincinnati 2013
In her first event since Wimbledon she lost to Simona Halep 3-6, 6-4, 6-1 with seven double faults, then announced her retirement at 28. "My body just can't do it anymore," she said. "I made my dream a reality and it will stay forever with me."
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