Arabic version: دارت تنسب إنجاز لقب غوانغجو إلى بارتولي

According to BBC News, Britain’s Harriet Dart says working with former Wimbledon champion Marion Bartoli has helped revive her career after she won her first WTA title at the Guangzhou Open in China. The world number 115 beat Austrian teenager Lilli Tagger in Sunday’s final, with Bartoli watching from home.

Dart, 30, began working part-time with Bartoli at the start of the season after being ranked outside the top 160. The pair live close to each other in Dubai and train there when Dart is not travelling. Bartoli, the 2013 Wimbledon champion and former world number seven, does not travel full-time with Dart but has worked with her during Grand Slam events and sent observational notes during the Guangzhou tournament.

“She really believes in me – that means the world to me,” Dart told BBC Sport. “Seeing a Grand Slam champion having that belief has made me believe a lot more in myself.” Dart said Bartoli’s experience and her approach as a person as well as a coach had been “invaluable”.

The Guangzhou success capped a strong hard-court run for Dart, who has won 19 of 24 tour-level matches since Wimbledon. She is projected to rise to 83rd in the rankings after the title, having reached a career-high ranking of 70th in 2024 but spent most of the past two seasons outside the top 100.

Britain’s women’s team captain Anne Keothavong said Dart had always shown a strong work ethic and professionalism, but now had greater belief and confidence. Keothavong also highlighted recent results by British players including Sonay Kartal, Katie Boulter and Hannah Klugman, calling their performances late in the season encouraging for British tennis.