TORONTO -- A week after winning her first grand slam title, Marion Bartoli says she awoke to a spectacular view in her bedroom.
It was a shining Wimbledon trophy and a reminder that all the hard work over her decade-plus career had finally paid off.
"I love it," Bartoli says of her prize. "I hope it will not change me as a person."
Bartoli enters the Rogers Cup women's tournament as the seven-seed and with expectations much higher than the world No. 8-ranked player has normally been accustomed to.
Her straight sets victory over Germany's Sabine Lisicki in the Wimbledon final was a milestone for the 28-year-old, who continually came up empty in the big tournaments.
Despite 46 grand slams appearances, she had no title and only one finals showing at the 2007 Wimbledon, when she lost to Serena Williams.
This breakthrough has given Bartoli a renewed confidence in both her game and her ability to step up at the slams.
"I know I can win once, so why not more than one?" said Bartoli. "But the competition is extremely tough. It wont be easy, but I want to try my hardest."
Bartoli has a bye to the second round and will face either American Lauren Davis or Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova. Her best showing at the tournament was reaching the semifinals in 2008.
Part of Bartoli's breakthrough has been attributed to a change in coaching. She had been coached by her father for the entirety of her career until last February when she announced a split by mutual agreement.
"It was a hard decision to make," said Bartoli. "Splitting 22 years of a relationship just like that over night, there was a lot of thoughts ... I've been through some really tough moments in the beginning of the year, then I was able to live the best moment of my life."
Bartoli is now coached by 2006 Wimbledon champion Amelie Mauresmo and the relationship appears to be working. She says she's feeling a confidence that eluded her at times during her career when she couldn't pull out a victory in big moments.
"My dream has always been to win a grand slam. I was close in 2007, but I was not playing a final since then, so I started to doubt myself and whether I had what it takes to win a grand slam or not," Bartoli said. "And she just gave me this confidence that I had what it takes.
"I remember serving this match point (at Wimbledon) and I look into my box and I have 10 or 12 people giving me these confident looks and I knew it was my time and no one could grab it from me."
Despite the changes Bartoli has undergone on the court this year, she insists being a Wimbledon champion won't change her off it.
"I like my values and I like who I am -- simple, humble, easy going, easy to speak to -- and I just don't want to change," she said.
