Marion Bartoli talks Wimbledon predictions and the future of tennis

Marion Bartoli has long been beloved in the tennis world for her fearsome play and on-court eccentricities.

Making her name as the women’s champion of the 2013 Wimbledon women’s singles without dropping a single set, beating Sabine Lisicki of Germany in the final and her unorthodox style of two-handed play made her one to watch throughout her years on the court.

As part of Stella Artois’s Perfect Serve experience for the 2026 Wimbledon season, the brand’s guests were treated to a Q&A with the tennis icon.

Sharing tales of her career highlights, Bartolli regaled the audience with moments involving some of Centre Court’s A-list attendees, including Pierce Brosnan, who she credits for two of her biggest wins in her career, and Tom Cruise.

Bartoli is famed for her two-handed technique, for which Mission Impossible star Cruise gave her praise.

“He spent the last day of his shooting for the last Mission Impossible chasing after my daughter for hours. She was calling him ‘Tom Tom.’”

Speaking to TimesLIVE, Bartoli said not many players have kept with the style, with only the two-handed backhand still a trend among some players over the one-handed backhand.

She revealed she does have her favourites when it comes to up-and-coming styles and stars, including Naomi Osaka and Aryna Sabalenka.

“They are two of my favourites because the way they strike the ball is so beautiful,” she said, also praising Osaka’s passion for fashion.

“I always love to see a nice outfit and how someone dresses well, so she always makes me curious about what she’s going to bring on the court. And I feel the story of her being a mother because I’m a mother too, and it makes me feel highly connected to her.”

When it comes to the players on her radar for the respective trophies this year, Italian Jannik Sinner and Serbian legend Novak Djokovic were her favourites due to the unfavourable weather conditions in London. With a new name bound to take the Venus Rosewater dish, Bartoli saw it going to Osaka, though her high-risk approach often gets in her way.

“If we could see her daughter running up to her when she lifts the trophy, I think everyone would cry. That would be the most iconic picture from Wimbledon ever.”

Four-time Grand Slam champion Osaka fell to Czech Karolina Muchova 7-6(4) 6-4 in the quarterfinals after this interview was conducted.

Muchova will face Linda Nosková in an all-Czech women’s final on Saturday.

TimesLIVE