It seems that Frenchwoman Marion Bartoli is not entirely ruling out a possible comeback on tour after her shock announcement of retiring two weeks ago.
The world number seven said during an interview prior to the US Open Tennis Championships on Sunday that she couldn’t entirely say that she won’t be coming back.
“It’s pretty hard to say I would never come back,” she said.
The 28-year old announced her sudden retirement after losing her match at the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati on August 14. Back then, she was almost clear in saying that she doesn’t have any plans in coming back. However, her comments on Sunday seemed to have opened a window of possibility that she’d think about it.
“I think it will have to come from me, my desire,” she said. “At the end of the day, you’re the only one who knows everything you have to go through as a tennis player. It’s hard for someone from outside to understand, starting from 6 years old and when you have to hit, probably, 2 million balls before being a pro tennis player. I’m the only one who can make the call.”
Bartoli is in New York not as a player but as a television commentator/analyst for Eurosport. The Frenchwoman has not yet requested that her name be taken out of the WTA Rankings list. As of August 26, she’s ranked 7th in the world. She could still make the call and participate in the remaining tournaments in the season, including the WTA Championships in Istanbul if she makes it in the final 8.
“You never know what’s going to happen in any sport,” she said. “I think I’ll be there until the end of the year, and we’ll see what’s happening.”
