A winner and true friend – Bartoli on France boss DeschampsImage source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Didier Deschamps played 103 times for the France national team and has managed them in 183 matchesByMichael EmonsBBC Sport journalistPublished32 minutes agoMarion Bartoli and Didier Deschamps are both French sporting icons.Bartoli – a former Wimbledon champion. Deschamps – a World Cup winner as both a player and manager.On Tuesday, Deschamps will lead France into their World Cup semi-final against Spain (20:00 BST).In the build-up to that match, Bartoli spoke to BBC Sport’s Katie Gornall about her friendship with Deschamps and gave an insight into the man hoping to lead France to more global success.Playing tennis with Bartoli and padel with Zidane and IniestaImage source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Bartoli met Deschamps at an awards ceremony shortly after winning the Wimbledon women’s singles title in 2013After Bartoli won Wimbledon in 2013, French newspaper L’Equipe named her their female Champion of Champions.She met Deschamps, who had become France boss a year earlier, at the award ceremony.”We have 13 years of friendship, which is something I massively cherish because I know he’s under so much pressure,” stated Bartoli, 41.”He comes to Dubai, where I live, quite often. He loves his tennis… now he has moved into padel, which I tease him about.”He is very funny. He always takes the time to reply to me, always takes the time to answer back, is always asking me where I am in the world.”He knows my daughter really well and he knows my husband well because they play padel together. I see him as a true friend.”It is not just Bartoli’s husband who takes on Deschamps, 57, at padel.Zinedine Zidane – his World Cup-winning team-mate in 1998, and the man likely to be the next France boss – is among his regular opponents, as is Spanish World Cup winner Andres Iniesta.But Bartoli would prefer Deschamps to return to playing her sport.”We used to play together before, but he’s like: ‘I’m getting old, now padel is perfect for me – I don’t have to cover too much court.'”He absolutely loves his padel and Zinedine loves to play as well, so they play together quite often in the south of France. They play together with Iniesta as well in Dubai.”It’s nice to see those incredible champions going on for a padel game and fighting against each other. I find it quite hilarious, but once it’s in your blood, it’s never really going away… always a competitor.”Success on the field, loss off itImage source, Getty ImagesImage caption, The France players ran to celebrate with Deschamps during their 3-0 last-32 win over Sweden – the first game since the manager returned to North America after attending his mother’s funeralWhile tournament favourites France have impressed on the field at the World Cup, Deschamps has had to deal with the loss of his mother Ginette.She died aged 86 on 23 June, and Deschamps temporarily left the national team camp in the United States to return to France for her funeral – missing their 4-1 victory over Norway.
“I wrote him a message,” stated Bartoli. “He replied within an hour thanking me and understanding the difficulty he was going through grieving, but at the same time having the positive vibe from the team.
“He might feel more down when the World Cup is finished, because that’s when actually you come back to what happens outside of your life.
“But he’s in a high spirit, very motivated, as always. I just know him as someone who is such a tough competitor.”
