Former Wimbledon champion Marion Bartoli believes Didier Deschamps remains as driven as ever to finish his France reign with another World Cup triumph as Les Bleus prepare for Tuesday’s semi-final against Spain.
Bartoli has shared a close friendship with Deschamps since meeting the France manager at L’Equipe’s Champion of Champions awards in 2013. More than a decade later, she says his competitive spirit has never faded.
“We have 13 years of friendship, which is something I massively cherish because I know he’s under so much pressure,” Bartoli told BBC Sport.
The former tennis star said Deschamps regularly visits Dubai, where she lives, and still enjoys competing, although he now prefers padel to tennis.
“He is very funny. He always takes the time to reply to me and asks where I am in the world,” she said.
Bartoli revealed Deschamps often plays padel with former France team-mate Zinedine Zidane and Spain great Andres Iniesta.
“He absolutely loves his padel,” she said. “It’s nice to see those incredible champions fighting against each other. Once it’s in your blood, it never really goes away.”
France’s World Cup campaign has unfolded during a difficult personal period for Deschamps. His mother, Ginette, died on June 23, forcing him to leave the squad briefly to attend her funeral before returning to North America.
Bartoli said she contacted her friend after the loss and received a reply within an hour.
“He thanked me and understood the difficulty he was going through grieving, but at the same time having the positive vibe from the team,” she said.
Despite the emotional setback, Bartoli believes Deschamps remains fully focused on leading France to another world title.
“What he cares about is taking this generation to become world champions,” she said.
France lifted the World Cup under Deschamps in 2018 before finishing runners-up to Argentina in 2022. Victory over Spain would move them one win away from another title in what will be Deschamps’ final tournament as national team coach.
Bartoli also argued the 57-year-old has never received the recognition his record deserves because expectations remain so high in French football.
“For me, he doesn’t get the reward and the press he should get based on the extraordinary results,” she said.
Bartoli expects Deschamps to remain in football after leaving the France job. However, she believes lifting the World Cup on July 19 would provide the perfect ending to one of international football’s most successful coaching careers.
