Bartoli announces retirement (?!)

[kskate2]

I wonder if she failed a drug test. Something has to be driving this.

Yeah, to say this doesn't pass the smell test is putting it mildly. From winning Wimbledon to retiring one month later...

I saw above where you said, Darth, "I'm not saying she's a drug cheat." But I will say to both you and Kskate, you have thrown mud, and you should be more cautious, because it tends to stick. I think it's unconscionable of both of you even bring it up at the exact moment of announcement. Could you even wait 24 hours for more explanation to come out?

Does it matter if I say it tonight or tomorrow? The question remains the same. I honestly hope this is not the case, but you have to admit the timing of it does seem strange.

For a player of Marion's caliber to win a slam after waiting 6 years to get to another slam final and not want to enjoy the remainder of the year as a reigning slam champion? To get all the perks that come from winning a slam, to show up at Wimby next year and have her title defence start on Tues at 1:00PM? If she thought this was her only chance to win a slam, she doesn't want to enjoy it while it's fresh and new?

Why not take a few months off or a small break and then revevaluate before making a decision? Then if she decided to retire she could make an announcement and have a proper goodbye tour. Otherwise, that seed of doubt (did I do the right thing, I can still compete) will lurk and she'll end up back after after a short period of time.

 

[Moxie]

I wonder if she failed a drug test. Something has to be driving this.

Yeah, to say this doesn't pass the smell test is putting it mildly. From winning Wimbledon to retiring one month later...

I saw above where you said, Darth, "I'm not saying she's a drug cheat." But I will say to both you and Kskate, you have thrown mud, and you should be more cautious, because it tends to stick. I think it's unconscionable of both of you even bring it up at the exact moment of announcement. Could you even wait 24 hours for more explanation to come out?

Does it matter if I say it tonight or tomorrow? The question remains the same. I honestly hope this is not the case, but you have to admit the timing of it does seem strange.

For a player of Marion's caliber to win a slam after waiting 6 years to get to another slam final and not want to enjoy the remainder of the year as a reigning slam champion? To get all the perks that come from winning a slam, to show up at Wimby next year and have her title defence start on Tues at 1:00PM? If she thought this was her only chance to win a slam, she doesn't want to enjoy it while it's fresh and new?

Why not take a few months off or a small break and then revevaluate before making a decision? Then if she decided to retire she could make an announcement and have a proper goodbye tour. Otherwise, that seed of doubt (did I do the right thing, I can still compete) will lurk and she'll end up back after after a short period of time.

No, actually, if you say it tomorrow it will still be slanderous. The 'question,' as you see it, is yours, but not everyone else's. Of all the possible reasons she might have for bowing out now, and it seems that there could be many, to me, to leap to doping is to 1) to be looking for it, and 2) to impune a player's reputation before it's time to. For such a moderate and careful contributor, I'm a bit surprised that you would jump right there. I might be wrong, but at least I'm not leaping to a conclusion, and you have to admit, there's pretty much nothing worse you can insinuate about an athlete than doping, especially after a huge win.

 

[Kieran]

There's a smell test but it's to do with cynicism. She's citing injuries. I think maybe she's on a downer after W, also. I wouldn't be surprised if she reneges on this one and plays on, but all the negative speculation? It's so low-level... :nono

 

[Front242]

Seriously, I doubt she was taking any PEDs I mean she looked quite out of shape for much of her career so they must be some weird drugs or else she clearly wasn't taking any. I reckon no chance of that personally given what the eye can see. HGH and other drugs cause you to lose body fat and EPO and such would require that you at least do enough cardio to benefit from it and she clearly wasn't a huge fitness freak so I'm pretty much sure she was clean. She was a very nice person off the court and some strange on court antics I guess at times for some people but nothing too disrespectful to the opposition. I was always amused at the way she jumped up in the air like a demented baboon psyching herself up lol.

A player who will be missed and it's quite a shock it happened so soon. 28 is still young eventhough she's obviously got a lot of tennis mileage. Must be more to it than just aches and pains in her body as she could surely have tried a break like Nadal and attempted a fresh comeback next year. Look at how successful his comeback has been. In that respect I'm disappointed and I mentioned earlier it would've been nice if she at least tried taking the rest of the year off and try and heal up all her ailments. Who knows then in 2014 if she felt recharged and pain free she'd have little to defend and could have continued playing well for quite a while more.

Since she didn't even elect to try and let her body recover I can only imagine that she's mentally out of it too, and as some rightly mentioned, she was quite a highly strung, stressed looking player so maybe all the years on tour took their toll, and that coupled with niggling injuries, caused her to announce her retirement. Still disappointed she didn't try recovering but who knows, maybe she'll return some day. A nice career end for her winning Wimbledon and she was a very bubbly nice person off court and looked as happy as a little kid winning Wimbledon 2 mths ago. Happy for her and hope she continues life with tennis to some degree and doesn't completely erase it from her life.

 

[nehmeth]

:clap :clap :clap

Marion Bartoli retires! Happy day.


:idea: Now if only Serena would get the same idea.

 

[DarthFed]

I wonder if she failed a drug test. Something has to be driving this.

Yeah, to say this doesn't pass the smell test is putting it mildly. From winning Wimbledon to retiring one month later...

I saw above where you said, Darth, "I'm not saying she's a drug cheat." But I will say to both you and Kskate, you have thrown mud, and you should be more cautious, because it tends to stick. I think it's unconscionable of both of you even bring it up at the exact moment of announcement. Could you even wait 24 hours for more explanation to come out?

That's sports these days. At this point I think fans are allowed to be cynical over something like this and its not like Ks and I flat out said she had to have failed a drug test and is retiring instead of facing a ban. There could also be some other reason behind it that we are not aware of (and I mean a reason other than being burned out and unmotivated to continue). And as Ks mentioned, if she is just burned out and tired of fighting nagging injuries then she might quickly reconsider because retiring at age 28 at the highest point of your career is almost unprecedented when you think of it. Let's wait to hear more (decent advise you just gave). Also Front does make a very good point regarding the fact that she certainly doesn't look like someone who is on PED's.

 

[tossip]

RE: Cincinnati 2013: Western & Southern Open

maybe Marion wants to do other things like painting or going to college...she has enough money to last her her lifetime.

 

[tossip]

maybe going from event to event without her father was not fun at all at least she left on a high note.

 

[Sundaymorningguy]

How sudden it was is more shocking than her actually retiring. It isn't shocking that someone suffering from injuries is retiring. She just accomplished a huge feat maybe in her mind she is done and nothing is ever going to be better than that moment for her in tennis. Everyone has his or her own agenda when it comes to tennis accomplishments. Maybe in her mind it was never going to get better than her Wimbledon win, so she chose to go out on a high note. She is 28, so it isn't that shocking. It isn't like she is 21-22 years old and just won a slam.

 

[tented]

[video=youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6OOnWBwFwks[/video]

 

[the AntiPusher]

I can't say I blame her. All the press after Wimbledon, stupid sports writers trashing her looks, etc. She is tired. However, I would not be surprised if she takes 6-12 months off then decides to come back. Hey, it happens. BTW I think she's is a very attractive and extremely intelligent young lady. Perhaps she wants to do college. Whatever her future desires and goals are, I wish her well.

I cant believe that someone talking about her looks would bother her..I wish her well.. she won the big one

Actually, she did not bother. She took it very sportingly. However, it was terrible of that
BBC Commentator to do that in a public broadcast. It is one thing to talk amongst
friends and another thing to say it in a public broadcast.

Really.. the BBC was being in sensitive... I missed that one,,, maybe I will google what was said

 

[the AntiPusher]

:clap :clap :clap

Marion Bartoli retires! Happy day.


:idea: Now if only Serena would get the same idea.

I am curious...why you feel like this... Bartoli game was fun to watch and Serena is playing very clean error free tennis which power that we have never seen before from the WTA tour..

 

[Correspondent Kiu]

This kinda unprepared retirement is not too smart, is it?
Being frustrated after a couple of first round losses, being overweight and injured, in pain and emotional...
I think I can see her position right now, but what will she do 4-6 months from now? That's when she is healed and bored.
Unless she has disabling injuries...
What will she do? Obviously she will be back to Tennis, right?

Lets wait and see, I have to give her 6 months, that would be right before the FO next year.

 

[Moxie]

I wonder if she failed a drug test. Something has to be driving this.

Yeah, to say this doesn't pass the smell test is putting it mildly. From winning Wimbledon to retiring one month later...

I saw above where you said, Darth, "I'm not saying she's a drug cheat." But I will say to both you and Kskate, you have thrown mud, and you should be more cautious, because it tends to stick. I think it's unconscionable of both of you even bring it up at the exact moment of announcement. Could you even wait 24 hours for more explanation to come out?

That's sports these days. At this point I think fans are allowed to be cynical over something like this and its not like Ks and I flat out said she had to have failed a drug test and is retiring instead of facing a ban. There could also be some other reason behind it that we are not aware of (and I mean a reason other than being burned out and unmotivated to continue). And as Ks mentioned, if she is just burned out and tired of fighting nagging injuries then she might quickly reconsider because retiring at age 28 at the highest point of your career is almost unprecedented when you think of it. Let's wait to hear more (decent advise you just gave). Also Front does make a very good point regarding the fact that she certainly doesn't look like someone who is on PED's.

Well, if she decides in a year she's refreshed and misses tennis, she won't be the first person to come back from retirement.

 

[shawnbm]

I am saddened by this news last night. I have always liked and supported Marion, as many here may recall. I will miss seeing her quirkiness and shot making, which was at times astounding. She could hang with the very best on her day. Bon voyage Marion.

 

[Front242]

This kinda unprepared retirement is not too smart, is it?
Being frustrated after a couple of first round losses, being overweight and injured, in pain and emotional...
I think I can see her position right now, but what will she do 4-6 months from now? That's when she is healed and bored.
Unless she has disabling injuries...
What will she do? Obviously she will be back to Tennis, right?

Lets wait and see, I have to give her 6 months, that would be right before the FO next year.

Don't see really why she couldn't take from say now till end of 2013 if needed off to heal up injuries and then train like an absolute animal to get in the best shape possible for a successful comeback next year, mentally and physically. She's relatively young at 28 compared to many of the players on tour and can easily get herself in the best shape she's ever been in still at her age now and rub it in the faces of the nasty jounrmalists and commentators remarking about her lack of fitness. Have they won a slam? Many of them probably just slam shots and pints. I hope she comes back at some point anyway but if not all the best to her for whatever she chooses in life.

 

[djmm]

Those weren't tears of joy or relief, but I wish her the best. Best of luck to you, Maid Marion!!

 

[nehmeth]

:clap :clap :clap

Marion Bartoli retires! Happy day.


:idea: Now if only Serena would get the same idea.

I am curious...why you feel like this... Bartoli game was fun to watch and Serena is playing very clean error free tennis which power that we have never seen before from the WTA tour..

No other reason than I just don't like them.

 

[Kieran]

The more I think about this, the more I write it off as an emotional press conference gone wrong. I'd be very surprised if we never see Bartoli on tour again...

 

[special700]

No it is not stunning after she won Wimbeldon in one of the press conference she said "now I can retire." It seems as though it's just my sister and I who heard made that statement.