Marion Bartoli hits the gym in comeback bid

Published by Matt Trollope

Marion Bartoli trains for the Tie Break Tens event in New York; Getty Images
Marion Bartoli shares evidence of her punishing gym workout on Instagram as the former Wimbledon champion continues to target a comeback to the WTA tour.

A whirring machine, discarded water bottles, a sweat-soaked workout space … Marion Bartoli’s comeback bid appears to be in full swing.

The Frenchwoman shared a video on her Instagram account from a stationary bike workout in the gym at Dubai Marina, having already clocked more than 20 minutes on the bike.

A Wimbledon champion in 2013, Bartoli seemed at pains to demonstrate the punishing nature of the workout, wringing out her sweat-soaked top as she pedalled manically.

“As you can see it’s JUST ME, THE DETERMINATION TO FINISH AND A LOT OF #sweat, #RAW and #real, no filter, can’t hide yourself or cheat,” she wrote in the post.

“I promise you, I will give my 100% to be ready to compete again #nevergiveup.”

Having retired in August 2013 due to chronic injuries, Bartoli announced in December 2017 that she was targeting a comeback to professional tennis, aiming for a return at the Miami Open in March.

She made her first public appearance on a tennis court at the Tie Break Tens exhibition event in New York on the eve of Indian Wells, falling to Serena Williams in her one and only match.

Yet Bartoli was not awarded a Miami Open wildcard, with the tournament tweeting: “After playing her exhibition in NYC last week, she decided she wanted more time to train before returning. We are rooting for her!”

Reporter Kamakshi Tandon, in a piece for tennis.com on 16 March, wrote: “According to French press, Bartoli withdrew (from Miami) with a hip and foot problem, and will also not be taking the wildcard she had been given at the WTA event at Monterrey the following week. She was described as being reluctant to return on clay, but could potentially return at Birmingham, or another grass-court event.”

Share this: 
  • Most popular articles

24 November 2016

GIG: Djokovic the fastest tennis player in the world

Novak Djokovic is the fastest tennis player on the planet, according to new data from Tenn... More

30 December 2019

Second-serve return in the men’s game: an exploration

Nick Kyrgios’ first-round win over Andrey Rublev at last year’s Kremlin Cup in Moscow ... More

8 June 2016

Pro tips: successfully changing surfaces

Transitioning between surfaces can be one of the biggest challenges in the game. Understan... More

16 February 2017

Men’s and women’s tennis: as different as believ...

In the first part of our series analysing the similarities and differences between men's ... More