Has Bartoli truly retired?: Peacock

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MARION Bartoli has retired. We think.

One of tennis's unique personalities, Bartoli today walked off the court after a second round defeat in Cincinnati and promptly declared she was giving the game away. And this barely a month after she claimed her first Wimbledon title.

Bartoli's announcement may have come as a surprise to the casual tennis observer, but those on tour might think otherwise. The world No.7 has long been regarded as an eccentric and unpredictable force. Convention isn't her thing.

Wimbledon champion Marion Bartoli shocks tennis world by announcing her immediate retirement

And that leads us to the big issue: is this really the last time we will see her on court? Personally, I'm not convinced this is the end. Given what we know of her, I'd say there is every chance we will see the Frenchwoman on court again once the disappointment subsides and the red mist clears.

Watching Bartoli train was like watching an episode of Ripley's Believe It Or Not. Strange implements, curious routines and odd experiments were often the order of the day. While most of her counterparts were hitting up with each other, Marion and her father were trying all manner of tricks.

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Her dad dropped off the scene less than a year ago and, after burning through a few coaches in quick succession, she formed an excellent partnership with compatriot Amelie Mauresmo.

She had previously earned a reputation for being emotional and getting down on herself, but she was completely serene throughout her charge to the Wimbledon crown this year.

She would take naps before matches. She greeted me by name during our interviews (even though I hadn't spoken to her in four years). And within hours of defeating Sabine Lisicki, I watched her walk into Wimbledon village and quietly slip into Café Rouge – dead across from the masses at the Dog and Fox pub – for dinner without any sign of an entourage.

No three hat restaurant for our Marion.

It will be interesting to see how the story of Bartoli's retirement plays out over the coming weeks and months. If, indeed, this is a retirement, tennis will have lost one of its more entertaining personalities.

But if this was a statement made in the heat of the moment, we could well see her on court again. And that would be a good thing for tennis.

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