Bombshell: 2013 Wimbledon Champion Marion Bartoli Announces Retirement

Mission accomplished, tennis. At least, according to Marion Bartoli. 

Just a couple short hours after losing to Romania's Simona Halep in her opening round match at the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati, the reigning Wimbledon women's champion announced her retirement in a teary press conference.

The announcement comes as a huge shock, considering Bartoli—who had languished all year without surpassing a single quarterfinal—experienced a career renaissance at Wimbledon. Taking advantage of a weakened field, she claimed her first Grand Slam title in London after a record 46 previous attempts to win a major title.

She is now sitting in the Top 10 in the rankings, a coveted place she was nowhere near a few months ago. 

The tennis twittersphere has exploded with the shocking news of the Bartoli's retirement. 

New York Times tennis reporter Ben Rothenberg quoted Baroli in a series of tweets. "​It's time for me to retire and to call it a career. I feel it's time for me to walk away actually," according to the Frenchwoman.

She blamed her body, in part, for pulling the plug on her career: "I made my dream a reality and it will stay forever with me, but now my body just can't cope with everything."

The dream Bartoli is referring to is, of course, that precious Grand Slam title. According to USA Today tennis correspondent Doug Robson, Bartoli's sentiments in regards to Wimbledon were as follows: "That was probably the last little bit of something that was left inside me."

Perhaps Bartoli was considering retirement all year, then, and thought of no better time than after fulfilling her life's biggest goal.

Her personality and career have always been defined by their quirkiness—from her enormously high I.Q. to her never-ending aerobic exercises to her unique, up-and-down relationship with her father and coach (whom she apparently briefed before making the big announcement). 

As some have tweeted: Why retire in Cincinnati? Well, talk about a maneuver only Bartoli could pull. 

The 28-year-old Frenchwoman finished her career with eight total titles, the biggest by far being this year's Wimbledon trophy. She is currently at a career high of No. 7 in the rankings and has garnered over $11 million in prize money.