He told Radio 5 live the year she won the Wimbledon tournament: “I wonder if her dad did say to her, ‘Listen, you’re never going to be a looker.
“’You’re never going to be somebody like Sharapova, you’re never going to be somebody with long legs, so you will have to compensate for that.”
Tennis star: Marion Bartoli in 2013
Mike Hewitt/Getty Images
Defending her new figure, Bartoli told You magazine: “I built the body I needed to win Wimbledon. I was where I wanted to be. I shaped it to become a champion – my body was about power.
“Now I’m sitting sketching all day rather than squat-lifting 200kg, so I’m not eating the same kind of food.
“When I played I fuelled my body – I used to eat more carbohydrates and drink sugary drinks on the court. Now I eat vegetables, salads, grains and protein shakes to give me energy for the gym.”
