The Last Frenchman Still Standing

Yet another time this season, Gael Monfils is the only Frenchman still standing when a Grand Slam reaches the quarterfinals stage. Monfils, who celebrated his 28th birthday on Tuesday, played superb tennis when it mattered most, overcoming young gun, Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov, 7-5,7-6,7-5.

With Tsonga and Simon—the other two Frenchmen who made the fourth round—failing to capitalize on their opportunities against Murray, respectively Cilic, Gael is once again the carrier of the French flag.

Despite the ups and downs, this has been a good season for the talented Frenchman. He won the title in Montpellier—ending a 5-final losing streak—and reached two major quarterfinals at Roland Garros and, now, the US Open.

The most impressive aspect of his performance against Dimitrov was the manner in which he controlled the delicate situations. All three sets went the distance and the Frenchman showed great composure and mental toughnes to seize his chances. He even saved two sets points in the second set's tiebreak. After his win, Monfils, thanked the crowd, saying: “I love to play here. Such a good energy. I just feel good. I’m happy.”

Next up for Monfils is a clash with all-time great Roger Federer.

Gael Monfils celebrates his amazing straight sets victory over rising star Grigor Dimitrov. The Frenchman won the match 7-5,7-6,7-5 to reach his second quarterfinal at the US Open.

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Ambitious Kiki Gets Biggest Win

France's young star Kristina Mladenovic has long been searching for a big breakthrough in singles. The two-time Grand Slam mixed-doubles champion is already a reputed doubles specialist, but Kiki has fallen behind in the last 12 months, being unable to establish herself as one of the leading ladies of the game.

So far this season has not been promising. In addition to winning the mixed-doubles title in Melbourne with Daniel Nestor, there's pretty much nothing to stand out in her resume. Nevertheless, tennis can be surprising at times, and sometime you get to win the lottery. All it takes is one great performance to put your career back on track. Just look at Halep's unbelievable rise after Rome 2013. Hopefully the same will happen with Mladenovic, who today stunned world No.2 and reigning Australian Open champion, Chinese Na Li, in the first round of the French Open.

"Look at this season. I went down in the rankings. I was in the Top 50 in the middle of last year, and I'm not longer in the Top 100. But it's only on paper. I've always believed in myself, and I still believed in myself today, and that's how I could put up such a good fight and play so well out there.

"I knew I had this in me. I'm very ambitious. I've never hidden that. And this is such a good win."

It was an extremely tough match for the Frenchwoman who held her nerve after a second set hiccup to eventually close out a 7-5,3-6,6-1 victory over her more prestigious opponent.

"It's definitely a huge thing for me, first round of a Grand Slam and at home at Roland Garros, and it's Li Na," Mladenovic said. "She's such a tough player, an amazing player, a Grand Slam champion. This is really big. You don’t beat Li Na every day."

Next up for Kiki is American Alison Riske and she the 2009 French Open junior champion is  determined to progress deep into the tournament. She has a huge game, a whipping serve and powerful groundstrokes on both wings. If she becomes more consistent, she can surely make the big jump. Hope she can keep up the momentum. Allez, Kiki!

Cheered by the partisan crowd, Kiki Mladenovic got the biggest win of her career, stunning world No.2 and reigning Australian Open champion, Chinese Na Li, 7-5,3-6,6-1 to progress to the second round of the French Open.

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Cornet Wins Marathon in Poland

After a dream week in Dubai—where she stunned world No.1, American Serena Williams, en route to the final—rejuvenated Alize Cornet confirmed her good run of form with another strong performance in Katowice. A wildcard into the draw, Cornet dramatically dismissed  Italian Camila Giorgi to lift her fourth career title. Although she looked poised for a straight sets victory, the Frenchwoman found herself match point down in the decider. She kept a clear head, fought off the match point, regained control, and managed to turn the match around, ultimately closing out a thrilling 7-6,5-7,7-5 triumph over first-time finalist Giorgi.

If there's one thing Cornet proved recently, that's the fact that she is going to fight until the very end. She has shown it so many times already this season, and she did it again in Katowice. Except for her first round match, all other encounters went the distance. Her most notable performance came in the semifinals where she denied home hope Agnieszka Radwanska in absolutely amazing fashion. Not only did she come back after a nightmare first set, but she regrouped again after going down 0-3 in the decider. Showing extreme mental toughness and fierce determination she sealed out a hard-fought 0-6,6-2,6-4 victory. This was her second straight top 3 win.

I am really impressed by how well she is now able to cope with these big matches. In the past, Alize had developed a sort of reputation for losing on the important occasions. Things changed considerably in the past 12 months and, as a result, the Frenchwoman is now on the verge of breaking into the top 20 again. She has been as high as No. 11 in February 2009 and, provided she maintains this excellent run of form, she can maybe climb even higher till the end of the season.

With young hope, Caroline Garcia, winning in Bogota, this has been a sensational week for French tennis. Allez les bleus!

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Garcia's Big Breakthrough in Bogota

She has been labelled as the next teen sensation for quite a while, but it was only this week that French rising star, Caroline Garcia, came of age. Inspired by a courageous performance against world No.1, American Serena Williams, in Miami—where she barely lost 4-6,6-4,4-6—Caroline caught wings. 

Playing in Bogota, the talented Frenchwoman finally got his big breakthrough, winning her maiden crown in style by defeating world No.9 and defending champion, Jelena Jankovic, in the final. Caroline also won the doubles title, becoming the first player since Serena at the 2012 London Olympics to ensure the singles-doubles sweep at a WTA-level event. 

"I'm very happy to win my first WTA title," Garcia said. "It was a good week for me. It's never easy playing with the altitude—it's hard to adapt, and my level was going up and down throughout the week—but I think I adjusted well and I probably played my best match of the week today in the final.

"I'm also really happy I was able to beat Jelena in the final. She's a really nice girl and a great player - she was the No.1 player in the world—and I had to play the best I could today to beat her.

"To win a WTA title is always a goal. Today is the best day I could imagine."

After a few tough years—years of relative frustration in which she had to adjust to the rigors of the WTA tour and to learn how to cope with the high expectations—Garcia looks to have found the maturity needed to fulfill her potential. Like Simona Halep did last summer, I am positive this is just  the beginning for this talented youngster. We will surely hear more of her in months to come. I bet!

With Alize Cornet winning in Katowice, this was a dream week for French tennis. It seems like French players can win after all ;).

Caroline Garcia won her maiden title by stunning defending Bogota champion, Jelena Jankovic, to score her first top 10 victory. The Frenchwoman also won the doubles crown, becoming the first player since Serena at the Olympics to ensure a clean sweep at a WTA-level event.

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Cornet Pulls Off Biggest Win

Before this week, I really doubted Cornet's ability to pull off a stunner. Especially against someone so fierce and mentally strong as Serena Williams. She was always a talented player, a challenging opponent, but she never had that extra spark to take her to the top of the game. While I don't think this has or will soon change, the Frenchwoman is showing some great progress.

This year already she teamed up with Jo-Wilfried Tsonga to win France's first Hopman Cup, lost a tough three-setter against Sharapova in the third round at the Australian Open, and succumbed 7-6 in the decider to Sara Errani in the semifinals on home soil in Paris. In Dubai she took it one step further, reaching her second Premier final after a sensational 6-4,6-4 victory over the world No.1 American. 

She was actually superb the entire week, dismissing high class opponents like red-hot Simona Halep, Belgian Kirsten Flipkens, Spaniard Carla Suarez-Navarro, and ultimately the one and only Serena without dropping a set. 

Talking about her victory over the American, the thrilled Cornet said: "It was tough to close it out because I had four match points the game before, and on the four match points she played unbelievable, so I was like, 'Okay, maybe she's going to put a little bit more on the important points now.' But I just tried to relax and breathe and pass my first serve at 5-4. I stayed focused and when the last ball went out I was like, 'That's it? I did it?' Then I was full of emotion. It's definitely the biggest win of my career."

The emotions were probably so intense that they were impossible to control. In the championships match, Alize started strong, but faded quickly against the rejuvenated Venus Williams. Venus made amends for the Williamses, destroying Cornet 6-3,6-0 to seal her first title since late 2012. 

Despite the tough loss, this has been a magnificent week with tons of positives for the Frenchwoman. Not only did she beat five higher ranked players in a row, but she also got her first top 4 triumph, stunning none other than the world No.1. She may have got inspired by Marion Bartoli's stellar achievement at Wimbledon last season, but this could very well be Alize's breakthrough year. Looking forward to seeing more from this talented French player :)!

Alize got the biggest win of her career in Dubai when she stunned world No.1, Serena Williams, in the semifinals. Venus got revenge for the Williamses, beating the Frenchwoman 6-3,6-0 to claim the title.

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Gael Crosses the Finish Line

After a succession of lost finals, the ever-talented Gael Monfils has finally turned the tables in Montpellier, winning the fifth title of his career—his first since Stockholm in 2011. 

The Frenchman has been in good form this year, reaching the final act in Doha, as well as the third round at the Australian Open, losing to world No.1, Rafael Nadal, on both occasions. Playing on home soil, Gael got inspired. Booming serves when it mattered most, Monfils battled his way through to the final, defeating dangerous opponents, Polish Lukasz Kubot, Portuguese Joao Sousa, Uzbek Denis Istomin, respectively Finnish Jarkko Nieminen. In the final, Gael faced compatriot and good friend, Richard Gasquet. Considering his 4-16 record in finals, Richard started as favourite. However, as he did in Doha earlier this season, Monfils had other ideas. He relied once again on his powerful serve to close out a straight sets 6-4,6-4 victory over Gasquet, the defending champion. 

"This is unbelievable for me," said Monfils. "I had some back problems at the beginning of the week and I didn't know if I was going to be able to play, so to now be with the trophy is pretty crazy. I have been elevating my game match after match and I am extremely proud in the way I played today. I really enjoy playing here in Montpellier. I love the atmosphere there is in this arena."

The win—his second at this tournament after the 2010 crown—marks a good turn in fortunes for the Frenchman who had to battle a career-threatening injury in 2012. Gael is extremely talented, he plays spectacular tennis, he has the weapons, he just needs to undergo that major mental transformation that will see him unleash his huge potential. Take Wawrinka for example. After he started working with Magnus Norman, the Swiss became 'Stan the Man' by beating Nadal to win the Australian Open. If Wawrinka did it, Monfils could do it too. I have confidence that his time to shine will come in the near future. He needs to remain healthy and to work on his mental fragility. #showtrueself Gael!

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Mladenovic and Nestor Collide Again

French hope Kristina Mladenovic and Canadian veteran Daniel Nestor teamed up again at this year's Australian Open to conquer their second Grand Slam mixed-doubles title together. The popular tandem cruised through the draw to collect their second major crown after Wimbledon last year.

Although they were not seeded at the start of the tournament, Mladenovic and Nestor enjoyed a relatively easy ride Down Under going all the way without dropping a set. They beat  the likes of Su-Wei Hsieh and Raven Klaasen, Lisa Raymond and Mariusz Fyrstenberg, Daniela Hantuchova and Leander Paes, Jie Zheng and Scott Lipsky, respectively Sania Mirza and Horia Tecau in the final.

After the final, the experienced doubles specialist was very complimentary of his partner: "She's very good at returning the men's serve," Nestor confessed. "I'm sure a lot of girls aren't afraid to return the men's serve out there, but whether they're able to do it is another story." "The first thing is not to be afraid of returning the men's serve, because obviously it's going really fast," Mladenovic commented. "And the second thing is that I like the challenge. I like going for it and trying to return it. They get crazy when the return comes back or even comes back as a winner."

The pairing is having great fun both on and off the court. Kristina actually confessed she'd been approached by other players and asked to play with them. "Now that we're starting to get good results, a few players are asking me when he's going to retire! I tell them no, I'm playing with Danny forever now," Kiki assured Daniel. "They say, 'Okay, we can play once he stops. We hope it's going to be soon.' Pretty much all the teams we beat joke about it!"

I love this dynamic duo, and now that the Canadian has announced his big plans of sweeping the majors to achieve the Grand Slam this year, I totally cheer for them! You go guys! 

Kiki Mladenovic and Daniel Nestor are strengthening their credentials as the best mixed-doubles team of the moment by winning their second major crown at the Australian Open. They beat Indian Sania Mirza and Romanian Horia Tecau in the final.

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France's Winning Combo

Although they always had great contestants who would battle for the big prizes, the French squad has lacked those fierce competitors who would cross the finish line victorious. This year marked a change of fortune for France who finally put forth a winning combo to lift its first ever Hopman Cup. A success-hungry Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and the always talented Alize Cornet cruised through a star-studded field in Perth to take home the crown. 

The French duo came through a tough group, dismissing three solid tandems: Americans Sloane Stephens and John Isner, Spaniards Anabel Medina-Garriguez and Daniel Munoz de la Nava, respectively Czech lovebirds Petra Kvitova and Radek Stepanek. 

Tsonga has been the powerhouse behind the team, winning all of his singles battles. Although she lost some of her singles clashes, Alize did a brilliant job backing up Jo to win the decisive mixed matches. That proved essential, especially in the final against Poland, which was won after the French duo crushed Agnieszka Radwanska and Grzegorz Panfil 6-0,6-2 in the mixed rubber.

Tsonga endured a miserable 2013, missing out on a golden opportunity at Roland Garros, before injuring his knee at Wimbledon to be sidelined for most of the remaining months. The triumph marks a great start to the next season for Jo-Wilfried, whose confidence was shaken after the aforementioned miserable period. This week should give him a much needed boost ahead of the Australian Open. Go Tsonga, win that elusive Slam!

Alize on the other hand, experienced a solid 2013, displaying some of her best tennis to claim the title in Strasbourg. The victory in Perth should help her strengthen her credentials as one of the leading ladies on the women's tour.

Alize and Jo-Wilfried found love on the tennis courts in Perth, combining their efforts to claim France's first Hopman Cup. The French duo came through a star-studded field in Perth, defeating teams from the US, Spain, Czech Republic, and Poland.

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Gilou Leads French Celebration in Metz

Every tournament held in France provides a great opportunity for the home players to shine. With Tsonga and Simon topping the star list, Metz was to be no exception. In the last two seasons, this has been Jo's playground, and the exuberant two-time defending champion was making a comeback this year after being sidelined since a nasty knee injury he sustained at Wimbledon.

After an intense week of tennis, there were three Frenchmen that made the last four, the two hot favourites, plus the rejuvenated Nicolas Mahut, who at 31 years old is enjoying an Indian summer this season, having claimed his first two career tittles. The only one standing in the way of a French final was Florian Mayer. The German put in a great fight, but came up short in the end against Tsonga to the delight of the partisan crowd. Simon beat Mahut, which ensured a dream final featuring the top two seeds.
Gilou has struggled with form in recent months, but the birth of this second son, Valentin, 13 days ago ignited him to produce his best tennis at this tournament. He didn't lose a set all week, and he wasn't to against Tsonga, taking full advantage of his compatriot's rustiness. Jo was slow out of the blocks and Simon did not allow him to ever get into the match, serving out a relatively straight forward 6-4,6-3 win. "I cannot become a father every week," he said. "It’s a beautiful story for sure. Unfortunately my wife and children couldn’t be here today. It was a great moment for me because I missed the birth of our first child and this time I was able to be there. I was very happy about that."

Sunday provided even more disappointment for Jo, as he and Mahut lost the doubles final to Johan Brunstrom and Raven Klaasen, the Swedish-South African pair preventing thus a clean French sweep at the Moselle Open.
I've always said the French are lacking the mental strength to win big matches, but Tsonga, as well as Simon, did not quite fit into this category. Unfortunately though, Jo is beginning to develop this pattern more and more these days. He is losing matches he should be winning, missing out on once in a lifetime opportunities, like at this year's French Open. He has a tremendous game that could potentially make him a Grand Slam champion, but he has a lot of catching up to do if he wants to match Nadal, Djokovic, or Murray's current level. Allez Jo-Wilfried!

Two-time defending champion, Jo-Wilfried never got a chance to successfully defend his title against Simon. Jo was making a comeback following a knee injury he sustained at Wimbledon.

Two weeks after the birth of his second son, Valentin, Simon produced a stunning display of tennis to win his second tittle in Metz. He did not lose a set all week, beating Tsonga 6-4,6-3 in the final.

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Gasquet, A Changed Man

After his breakthrough triumph over Raonic in the fourth round, I felt this is the best time for Gasquet to prove his much improved mental strength. He needed to beat Ferrer first, and although he lost eight of the previous nine matches against the Spaniard, I knew he had it in him to get the win. The Frenchman has the talent and the groundstrokes to challenge Ferrer, so it was all just a matter of putting in the effort, of working on his fitness, of fighting, and fighting, and fighting some more in order to overcome the tour's ultimate hard-worker. 

Gasquet too acknowledged the great opportunity and was determined not to let it slip. He was ferocious right from the get-go, playing sharp and aggressive to build a two-sets-to-love advantage. It was a period of flawless tennis for the Frenchman, two-sets of Richard Gasquet at his utmost best. No mistakes, stunning one-handed backhands, inspired volleys, a lethal combination that left his opponent struggling for answers. However, as usual, David was not going to give up easily. He raised his level at the beginning of the third act, breaking Richard to unleash a comeback. The Frenchman grew tired, his body was ailing, and his shots were missing the convincement and the spark from the beginning of the encounter. Experienced Ferrer took full advantage, leveling the dispute.

Usually when such a thing happens, Richard collapses mentally and physically, gifting away the win. It happened throughout his career, most recently at Roland Garros against Wawrinka. He did warn us that he learned his lesson though and this time he played it smart. He kept his cool, regrouped, resumed the aggressive display and crossed the finish line triumphantly. He attacked at the right moment to get the decisive break and then went on to serve out a superb 6-3,6-1,4-6,2-6,6-3 victory.

"I played a great match at the start despite the wind in the stadium. But David is a great fighter and I was a little tired after a big match with Raonic. I got the break in the final set and it's an amazing feeling to be in the semi-finals. I played a lot of 5 sets in my life, but this one was very important. It was a big match for me, this is a big victory, semi-finals of the US Open. I'm really happy. It's wonderful for me,'' he said after the match.

I strongly believe that with this success Richard has proved he has matured, as a player, as a person, and as a champion. He goes on to face Rafael Nadal next, and although he never beat his good friend, you never know when the magic strikes. Nadal has been impetuous on hard-courts this season, not losing a match, so it will surely be tough. However, with the right mental approach, with belief and determination, I think the Frenchman has a slight chance of making his first Grand Slam final. It seems impossible, but I'm actually rooting for a battle of the one-handed backhands in Sunday's final. Let's go Gasquet and Wawrinka!

Although he has lost eight of the nine previous meetings with David Ferrer, Gasquet knew this was his chance. The Frenchman held his nerve to close out a magnificent 6-3,6-1,4-6,2-6,6-3 victory.

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Gasquet Steps It Up

Renowned for his habit of losing the important matches, talented Frenchman, Richard Gasquet, stepped it up at this year's US Open, hanging in tough to beat Canadian powerhouse, Milos Raonic. In a gruelling encounter that lasted four hours and 40 minutes, Richard showed much improved mental strength, recovering from one-set-to-two down to triumph 6-7,7-6,2-6,7-6,7-5.

The victory also marks a change of fortune for Gasquet who has a miserable 1-15 fourth round record in Slams. The only time he passed this stage was in 2007 at Wimbledon, where he lost in the semifinals to Roger Federer. At Flushing Meadows, the Frenchman has a good chance of equalling that performance as he goes on to face Spaniard David Ferrer next. Richard has the game and the talent to potentially win a major. However, so far, he couldn't quite challenge the big names. This year saw the rebirth of the Frenchman and maybe the success against Raonic is another huge step in the right direction. However, he really needs to overcome Ferrer to consolidate the great run.

Richard suffered a heart-breaking loss earlier this season, succumbing to Stan Wawrinka in the fourth round at the French Open, letting a two-sets-to-love lead go to waste. He learned from that defeat and the win against Raonic comes as a sort of consolation. The Frenchman was extremely motivated to get the win. At the press conference, he admitted having talked to himself throughout the match, saying “You need to win.” “I did it! And it’s a big victory for me,” declared an enthusiastic Richard. Well done, Gasquet! On to the semifinals!

Richard Gasquet showed much improved mental strength to overcome hot gun Canadian, Milos Raonic, 6-7,7-6,2-6,7-6,7-5 to reach his first quarterfinal at the US Open.

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Monfils Still Can't Pull It Through

Although he is making steady progress in his attempt to regain his place inside the top 10, Gael Monfils seems unable to put together a winning run. This past week the Frenchman played a solid tournament in Winston-Salem, but when faced with the prospect of winning the title, he once again cracked. It's true that this time he can blame a medical condition, but still, like so many other instances in his career, this is yet another missed opportunity.  

Monfils' run to the final was utterly impressive, the talented Frenchman beating rejuvenated Spaniards Tommy Robredo and Fernando Verdasco, as well as Ukrainian Alexandr Dolgopolov. However, the championship match against Austrian Jürgen Melzer ended in disappointing, Gael deciding to call it quits while trailing 3-6,1-2. "I started to feel it yesterday," the former world No.7 explained. "I had a sharp pain. After about 50 minutes [today], I tried to serve at full speed, and that was it. I felt like something snapped a little bit and it was really painful. It was tough to continue. I will try to get an X-ray tonight and see what's going on."

Monfils, a three time Grand Slam junior champion, has long been considered a strong candidate to one day rule the ATP tour. However, injuries and a lack of mental strength have prevented him to leave up to the expectations. Gael is a show-man and he proved that time and time again. Nevertheless, when it comes to winning the big points, or the important matches, he often falls short. His record in finals is strong evidence to attest this. Out of the 19 finals he played so far, he only won 4, the last coming in Stockholm in 2011. Only this season he has lost already two finals, both accessible, one in Nice, against Albert Montanes, and the one on Saturday, against Melzer.

Gael's case resembles pretty much that of German Andrea Petkovic. Like the Frenchman, Petkovic has been struggling with injuries for most of last year, but in the last couple of months she is starting to get her career back on track with some solid performances. However, just like Monfils, she is missing a happy ending, having also lost two finals already, against Simona Halep in Nürnberg, respectively against Magdalena Rybarikova in Washington DC.

With US Open starting in a few hours, it remains to be seen how well the Frenchman will recover after the unfortunately injury. He really needs to start winning these kinds of matches in order to build confidence when tackling the top guns. For this, he needs to be 100% fit though, so steady recovery Monfils. Hope to see some more winner's stamina from you soon.

Monfils played a pretty solid tournament in Winston-Salem, but his week ended in disappointing as he retired hurt while trailing 3-6,1-2 against Austrian Jürgen Melzer in the final.

While Monfils loses his fifteen ATP final, Austrian Melzer bags his fifth career title.

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Time to Say Goodbye: Marion Does It Her Way

Marion Bartoli has always played by her own rules. Never intimidated by the critics who slammer her as unorthodox, bizarre, or quirky, she always stood by what she believed in, never compromising, never giving in. Her work ethics, her on-court behaviour, her aggressive two-handed strokes on both sides, everything about this Frenchwoman was designed to work for her and her only. Having teamed up with her father, doctor Walter Bartoli, at an early age, Bartoli has developed a unique game that I personally have always appreciated. 

It's not easy to put in so much passion, so much discipline and hard work, and to give so much of yourself match after match, week in, week out. With her never-say-die attitude, the Frenchwoman has always fought. Injuries, opponents, the French Federation, media, everyone. However, after winning Wimbledon just a few weeks ago, she felt emptied. There was nothing left to give. No resources to fuel the fight. Playing through so many injuries took its toll and an aching Marion decided she cannot continue anymore. After losing her second round match in Cincinnati to Romanian sensation, Simona Halep, Marion shocked the world by announcing her immediate retirement from tennis. 

It may come as a surprise to many, but it's important to understand just how much effort was required to win Wimbledon. Struggling with injuries since the beginning of the year, Marion saw a chance opening up when the hot favourite crushed out in the early stages. It took all her determination and fight to be able to hold the Venus Rosewater Dish at the end of the fortnight. It was the achievement of her biggest dream, an accomplishment that completed her career. She fulfilled her goal and she can now walk away peacefully and at ease, able to proudly look back at her glorious career. 

Judging by how competitive Marion is, I was actually expecting her to carry on and, why not, to try to win more majors. She knew better though. She knew that would never be. While some questioned her decision, I am pretty convinced she gave it a lot of thought. I am sad to see her retire, but one has to appreciate all she has done for women's tennis and to wish her all the best. For me, Marion represents the best example of a warrior. A fierce and smart warrior that will do anything, work as hard as it takes, to achieve her goals. When people tell you you cannot do something, Marion would go and prove them wrong. Time and time again. Although she was not the most gifted tennis player and some made fun of her peculiarity, Marion had the last laugh by winning Wimbledon and becoming a Grand Slam champion. Congrats Marion, go live your life and always stay true to yourself. At the end of the day, that's what matters the most. Thank you for all the great memories! You will be missed!

Exit interview:

On why...

"My body just can't do it anymore. I've already been through a lot of injuries since the beginning of the year. I've been on the tour for so long, and I really pushed through and left it all during that Wimbledon. I really felt I gave all the energy I have left in my body. I made my dream a reality and it will stay with me forever, but now my body just can't cope with everything. I have pain everywhere after 45 minutes or an hour of play. I've been doing this for so long, and body-wise I just can't do it anymore."

On whether she knew going into the match that it would be her last...

"Well, you kind of never know before the match that it's going to be your last match, but I felt that way after the match. I felt I just couldn't do this anymore. After one set, my whole body was just in pain.

"It's been a tough decision to make. I didn't make this decision easily. I mean, I've been a tennis player for a long time, and I had the chance to make my biggest dream a reality. I felt I really, really pushed through the ultimate limits to make it happen, to be honest. But now I just can't do it anymore."

On whether she had been thinking about it for a while...

"You know, it's hard to explain, but when you dream about something for so long and you've been on tour for many, many, many years and you've been through ups and downs and highs and lows and already a lot of injuries since the beginning of the year, my body was really starting to fall apart, and I was able to keep it together, go through a lot of pain throughout Wimbledon, and still make it happen. That was probably the last little bit of something that was left inside me. It's fine. I have the right to do something else as well. I've been playing for a long, long time, and it's time for me now. It is."

On whether she discussed it with her dad...

"I called him, yes. But my dad knows me enough to know it a bit when he saw me leaving home for the States. He kind of felt I was tired and I was exhausted, and he was not surprised by the decision.

"He said, 'I kind of felt it somehow. I can see it in your eyes and see your body and I know all the work you've done to make it happen. I'm so proud of you. I will support you in anything you're doing.'"

On where the pain is exactly...

"My Achilles is hurting me a lot, so I can't really walk normally after a match like that, especially on the hardcourts when the surface is so hard. And my shoulder and my hips and my lower back. The body of a tennis player, you've been using it for so many years, and, yeah, my body is just done."

On how she went from a really good first set to this decision...

"As a tennis player you have to be at 100%. And I'm this kind of person, when I'm doing something, I'm doing it 100%. If I have to be on the practice court preparing for the next tournament tomorrow, I won't be at 100%, because my mind is not there, my heart is not there, and I just can't lie like that.

"I'm too honest and too true to my values to be there, but kind of not really 100%. I think that would be unfair for all my team, and I don't choose to do that. I don't have those values. That's not the way I've been raised. That's not the way I am. So I prefer to stay true to myself rather than just cheating."

On what she's most proud of from her career...

"I think being the same person, being honest, being loyal to my friends, to my teams, to the people who have been helping me along the way, the people who have been working with us throughout all the years. I always respect them, and I felt I always respected everyone. I think if people ask, 'How is Marion Bartoli?' They will always respond, 'She's a nice person.' That's what I'm most proud of."

On what she will do now...

"Oh, gosh, I don't know. I haven't thought about it so much. There are so many things to do in life rather than playing tennis, so I'm sure I'll find something. I just need a bit of time to settle down. "There is some excitement as a tennis player. There is a lot of excitement as a woman. There is a lot of excitement as a wife. There is a lot of excitement as a mother. There is a lot of excitement to come up.

"I'm excited to live my future, but I will have time to think about it in the months, years to come."

A look back at Marion's golden career

US OPEN 2001: Aged 17, Marion defeated Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova to win the girls singles title at Flushing Meadows.

AUCKLAND 2006: Marion defeated Russian Vera Zvonareva 6-2,6-2 to capture her maiden WTA title. She would go on to two more crowns that year.

WIMBLEDON 2007: Marion stunned the tennis world by shocking hot favourite and world No.1, Justine Henin, to reach her first Grand Slam final. 

WIMBLEDON 2007: Playing the most important match of her career, Marion succumbed to experienced Venus Williams in straight sets.

STANFORD 2009: Marion got revenge on Venus Williams, defeating the American to collect her fifth career title.

INDIAN WELLS 2001: Bartoli reached one of the biggest finals of her career, but fell short to world No.1, Dane Caroline Wozniacki who prevailed in three sets.

ROLAND GARROS 2011: Marion delighted the French fans by reaching her first semifinal at the French. Her dream was eventually ended by defending champion, Italian Francesca Schiavone. 

EASTBOURNE 2011: at one of her favourite tournaments, Marion Bartoli produced a stellar grass-court performance. After quickly disposing of Samantha Stosur in the semis, the Frenchwoman overcame soon-to-be Wimbledon champion, Petra Kvitova, to claim the title.

HOPMAN CUP 2012: Marion partnered Richard Gasquet to reach the final of the team event in Perth. They lost to Petra Kvitova and Tomas Berdych from the Czech Republic.

PARIS 2012: One of the most heart-breaking defeats came in front of her home crowd, in Paris, when she lost an epic final to German Angelique Kerber.

WIMBLEDON 2013: Bartoli achieved her career dream, defeating German Sabine Lisicki to win her first Grand Slam trophy. The Frenchwoman did not drop a set the entire fortnight.

CINCINNATI 2013: Just when she seemed to be on top of world, Marion stunned the world announcing her immediate retirement from tennis.

photos (top-down): GETTY IMAGES, L'Equipe, GETTY IMAGES (x7), AP, GETTY IMAGES (x5), ?, GETTY IMAGES (x3)

Mladenovic Doubles Up for France

A day after Marion Bartoli stunned Sabine Lisicki to win the Wimbledon ladies' crown, another Frenchwoman achieved her Grand Slam dream. Kristina Mladenovic, one of the hottest prospects of the young generation, teamed up with doubles legend, Canadian Daniel Nestor, to win the mixed-doubles trophy, following a nail-biting 5-7,6-2,8-6 final victory over American Lisa Raymond and Brazilian Bruno Soares.

Mladenovic has been in great form in the doubles this year, collecting three titles with three different partners: Memphis with Galina Voskoboeva, Charleston with Lucie Safarova, respectively Oeiras with Hao-Ching Chan. The Frenchwoman also finished runner-up with Daniel Nestor at the French Open, where they lost 10-4 in the super-tiebreak to Czech duo Lucie Hradecka and Frantisek Cermak. 

The victory at Wimbledon comes to revenge for their Roland Garros disappointment, but the pair had to overcome some tough challenges en route to clinching the title. They dismissed the second seeded Sania Mirza and Horia Tecau in the quarterfinal, third seeded Katarina Strebotnik and Nenad Zimonjic in the semis, and now the No.1 seeded Raymond and Soares.

I put great faith in Kristina. She has a huge game, powerful groundstrokes, booming serve, but most important, she's proven she is extremely tough mentally. With her team in danger of losing a second consecutive major final, she saved two match points on her serve to level at 6 all in the decider. The French-Canadian tandem then broke decisively in the next game, while the experienced Nestor served out a superb win to the delight of Marion Bartoli and her dad, Walter, who were cheering from the crowd.

photo: GETTY IMAGES