Marion Bartoli, a former Wimbledon champion, has shared her perspective on her friendship with Didier Deschamps, the France national football team manager, ahead of the World Cup semi-final against Spain. Bartoli, who met Deschamps at an awards ceremony after her 2013 Wimbledon victory, described their 13-year friendship as something she "massively cherishes." She noted that Deschamps, a World Cup winner as both a player and manager, is "very funny" and makes time for her despite the pressure he faces, often visiting her in Dubai to play padel. Bartoli revealed that Deschamps regularly plays padel with other football legends, including Zinedine Zidane and Andres Iniesta, and she humorously encourages him to return to tennis. Regarding the recent loss of Deschamps' mother, Bartoli said she sent him a message and he replied within an hour, acknowledging the difficulty of grieving while leading the team. She believes he may feel the loss more after the World Cup ends but described him as being in "high spirit" and a "tough competitor."
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