MARION BARTOLI

Residence: Geneva, Switzerland

Date of Birth: 02 Oct 1984

Birthplace: Le Puy en Velay, France

Height: 5' 6 3/4" (1.70 m)

Weight: 139 lbs. (63 kg)

Star: libra

Plays: Right-handed (two-handed both sides)

Status: Pro (2000)/Retired (August 14, 2013)

Marion Bartoli was born on 2 October 1984 in Le Puy-en-Velay, Haute-Loire. She is of Corsican origin; her family is from Palneca, Corse-du-Sud. She is a French former professional tennis player.

Bartoli was introduced to tennis by her medical doctor father, Walter, when she was 6 years old. She would practise tennis with him late at night after school on small, icy, unevenly surfaced courts which restricted free movement and influenced her playing style. When weather was sufficiently bad, they would train in an old indoor facility where there was very limited room between baseline and the wall, meaning Bartoli became adept at playing inside the baseline. He devised original training methods, such as improving hand-eye coordination by using balls of different size and color, or encouraging Marion to stay on her toes by taping tennis balls to the heels of her shoes. He drove hundreds of kilometers to tournaments while she would do her homework in the back of the car. She was known for her unorthodox style of play using two hands on both her forehand and backhand.

She announced her immediate retirement from professional tennis on 14 August 2013.

Awards and achievements

She won the 2013 Wimbledon Championships singles title after previously being runner-up in 2007, and was a semifinalist at the 2011 French Open. She also earned eight Women's Tennis Association singles titles and three doubles titles.

Bartoli defeated three reigning world no. 1 players in her career: Justine Henin in the semifinal of the 2007 Wimbledon Championships, Jelena Janković in the fourth round of the 2009 Australian Open, and Victoria Azarenka in the quarterfinals of the 2012 Sony Ericsson Open. She also recorded wins over other top players such as Venus and Serena Williams, Ana Ivanovic, Lindsay Davenport, Arantxa Sánchez Vicario, Dinara Safina, Caroline Wozniacki, Petra Kvitová, Samantha Stosur, and Kim Clijsters.

She is also the only player ever to have played at both the WTA Tour Championships and the WTA Tournament of Champions in the same year, in 2011. Bartoli reached at least the quarter-final stage at each of the four Grand Slams. Her win at Wimbledon made her only the sixth player in the open era to win the Championships without dropping a single set.

Relationship status

The 30-year-old, who is the international event ambassador of this edition of the Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon (SCMM), has so controversial in this matter. She had been seen with an Indian businessmen and the rumors was that she is going to marry him. Also heard that she went India for him several times.  In past, some magazines criticizes her body that she is looking like a man.