Immediately after securing her first WTA title, Britain’s Harriet Dart faced a wave of congratulatory messages, starting with calls to her parents, Nick and Susie, and her sister Phoebe. The next person she spoke to was 2013 Wimbledon champion Marion Bartoli, who has been coaching Dart on a part-time basis since the start of the season.
Path to Victory in Guangzhou
Working with the French former world number seven helped Dart achieve what some critics believed was beyond her reach. On Sunday, with Bartoli watching from home, the 30-year-old world number 115 captured the Guangzhou Open in China by defeating rising Austrian teenager Lilli Tagger, as reported by BBC Sport.
Dart told BBC Sport in a video call from Guangzhou that working with Marion has been incredible and that she felt fortunate for the opportunity. She noted that seeing a Grand Slam champion express belief in her has significantly boosted her own self-confidence.
When their partnership began, Dart was ranked outside the top 160. The pair reside near each other in Dubai and conduct training blocks together during breaks in the tour schedule. While they do not travel full-time on tour together due to Bartoli’s young family, they coordinate closely during major tournaments and Grand Slams, with Bartoli providing observational notes during the Guangzhou event while Dart was accompanied by her fitness trainer Dario Gonfiantini and boyfriend Stephen Falck.
Following her Guangzhou triumph, Dart is projected to climb to 83rd in the rankings, capping a stellar second half of the year that includes 19 victories from 24 hard-court tour matches since Wimbledon.
Overcoming Past Struggles
Dart previously reached a career-high of 70th in 2024 after strong showings at Wimbledon and the US Open, but spent much of the past two seasons outside the top 100. During those struggles, opponents exploited vulnerabilities like a slow second serve prone to double faults, and questions lingered regarding her mental resilience under pressure.
In China, she answered those concerns by battling back from behind in several matches. British women’s team captain Anne Keothavong told BBC Sport that Dart has always maintained a fantastic work ethic and high professional standards, but now displays noticeably greater belief and confidence.
Keothavong also included Dart in her squad for the September Billie Jean King Cup Finals, praising her sharp ball-striking in practice. Dart’s maiden victory contributes to a strong late-season surge for British women’s tennis in Asia, following Sonay Kartal reaching a WTA 1000 final in Wuhan, Katie Boulter making a WTA 250 semi-final in Osaka, and teenager Hannah Klugman winning a W100 title at the Wrexham Open.
Keothavong remarked that the athletes’ impressive performances at the end of a long tennis season reflect great rewards for their hard work and provide strong encouragement for British tennis overall.
