France's Marion Bartoli Combines Court, Canvas
WTA Tour Pro has Turned Her Artistic Eye Toward Natural Settings
Aug 1, 2009
The 24-year-old French women's tennis star, ranked among the world's top 15 players, has an eye for beauty, whether it's facing down an opponent in the heat of the moment in front of a sellout crowd or staring at a blank canvas in the quiet of her studio.
Either way, Bartoli can imagine the finished product before making a stroke. Her imagination carries well from the hardcourts to the landscape. She can envision her dreams and take the appropriate steps to make them reality.
"I think we are all unusual in our own special way," Bartoli said after playing her quarterfinal match at the 2009 Stanford tournament. "You can't be usual and be in the top 15 or 20. You have to be something special."
She wasn't trying to boast, she was being truthful. What separates the great players from the merely good is the depth of their competitive spirit, their drive and willingness to sacrifice.
A Natural Setting
Bartoli sees this from two different point of views, which complements each of her pursuits. Once she has completed a match and fulfilled her obligations to the WTA Tour, she retires to her room, whether it's on the road or in her home on Lake Geneva in Switzerland, and draws.
This season she has taken the unprecedented step of bring her canvas with her along the Tour stops. Her latest painting is of a garden, with small children.
She worked on her painting for most of the summer and by the time she reached Stanford, had it 80 percent complete. She figured Cincinnati would be a good place to finish it.
"It's in my garden where I think about how happy I and and how lucky I am. There are a lot of girls who don't have the life I have."
Picasso and Van Gogh are among her favored artists, with "Sunflower" her personal favorite.
Bartoli said she's completed about 10 works but is reluctant to show them. She allowed members of the media at Stanford a glimpse of her latest piece, displaying a picture on her cell phone. Despite the tiny size, there's no question her talent shows.
Competitive on the Court
On the court she's won four WTA singles titles and three doubles titles as she maintains her status as one of the most consistent players on the tour. She's been ranked among the top 20 since the 2006 season.
Bartoli is France's top player, ahead of former No. 1 Amelie Mauresmo, whom she considers her closest friend on the tour, and Virginie Razzano, both of whom are in the top 20. Sometimes, she feels, the French press can be hard on all three of them.
"There's no balance, no in between with them," Bartoli said. "You win and they put you up. You lose and they put you under the earth six feet. They expect the French players to win every time."
It doesn't stop her from pursuing excellence. It's so much easier, after all, to criticize from the outside looking in.
Bartoli worked to develop a different style of serve, once that has helped her beat nine Top 10 opponents, including two over reigning No. 1 players.
"I'm able to use my legs a lot more," she said. "I can push off the ground harder. I've worked on being able to serve with my legs for two years. I wasn't able to do that before."
After winning her first singles title in three years at Monterrey, perhaps Bartoli is ready to take on the giants of her sport at Grand Slam events. She's certainly ready to paint her way onto the art scene.
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