The 2013 Wimbledon champion spent four months of last year in hospital IAN TUTTLE/THE TIMESMarion Bartoli has stunned the tennis world by announcing a comeback to the professional tour next year at the age of 33. Bartoli, of France, retired shortly after winning her one and only grand-slam title at Wimbledon in 2013, citing acute pain in her shoulder and achilles, and has experienced serious health issues in recent years. However, after several practice sessions in the past few months, she believes her body can cope with the rigours of the circuit again. A return is planned in March at the Miami Open and Bartoli hopes to be successful enough over the next two and a half years to earn a place at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. “It’s going to be a huge challenge,” Bartoli said.

Source: The Times December 20, 2017 00:22 UTC