Marion Bartoli was on top of tennis two months ago after a shocking run to a Wimbledon title. Her circumstances have changed, and now she is calling it quits at the age of 28,
At a tearful press conference announcing the big news, Bartoli said, My body was really starting to fall apart and I was able to keep it together, go through the pain - with a lot of pain - throughout this Wimbledon and make it happen. That was probably the last little bit of something that was left inside me. I've been playing for a long, long, long time, and it's time for me now. It is."
It's hard to argue with Bartoli's reasoning. While 28 isn't old by any means, in tennis years nearing the number 30 generally means a player is past his/her prime. Additionally, Bartoli has dealt with myriad injuries to her left foot, right ankle, right hamstring and Achilles tendon, according to The Huffington Post.
"I have pain everywhere after 45 minutes or an hour of play," she said. "I've been doing this for so long. And yeah, it's just body-wise, I can't do it anymore."
Despite clear sadness in Bartoli's decision, she said she's glad she was able to win a major title, and knows she will be remembered for her 2013 Wimbledon showing. "It's been a tough decision to take. I don't take this easily. I mean, I've been a tennis player for a long time and I had a chance to make my biggest dream a reality. I felt I really, really pushed through the ultimate limits to make it happen."
In other news, Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga has withdrawn from the U.S. Open, which kicks off on August 26th. Tsonga hurt his knee in Round 2 of Wimbledon, and has not healed sufficiently to perform at the Open.
"It would be stupid to go there knowing full well that I have no chance because I'm not prepared enough," Tsonga said. "The doctors told me that it would be at least two months for my tendon to partially heal and five months to be completely healed."
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