Wimbledon champion Marion Bartoli is returning to the grass courts of Britain this summer - but she quickly shot down any talk of a comeback.
The Frenchwoman will be at Liverpool Cricket Club in June for the Liverpool Hope University International Tennis Tournament, a pre-Wimbledon exhibition event.
Bartoli became one of the most unexpected champions in Wimbledon's history when she beat Sabine Lisicki in the final last July to win her first grand slam title at the age of 28.
Even more surprisingly, Bartoli announced she was retiring from tennis little over a month later, citing the wear and tear of injuries.
Many people assumed she would change her mind at some point, following in the footsteps of Martina Hingis, Justine Henin and Kim Clijsters in making a comeback.
There have been rumours that Bartoli would ask for a wild card into Wimbledon this year but the 29-year-old insists she could not be happier in retirement.
The recent launch of her fashion brand, which raises money for Unicef, takes up most of her time, while she has also dabbled in media work and turned her hand to painting.
Asked about a comeback, Bartoli told Press Association Sport: "It's not going to happen.
"Tennis is still my passion but I have other passions and they take a lot of work and dedication. I'm going to be 30 years old later this year and my body is extremely tired.
"I never had a feeling of maybe I didn't make the right decision. I'm moving on with my life. When I think about my tennis career it brings me pure happiness and pride but I don't feel I'm missing out."
Attracting a reigning Wimbledon champion for the first time is a big coup for the Liverpool tournament, and Bartoli, who still plays tennis regularly, is hoping to show off her grass-court skills once again.
She said: "I'm very lucky to be coming to Liverpool. I heard from Laura Robson that it's a great event.
"Playing on grass again and for fun, not a serious competition, is really something I'm looking forward to. I still hate to lose so I hope to play all three days."
Liverpool has an extra attraction for Bartoli, who is a massive football fan and supports Olympique Marseille.
She said: "I'm so excited to be visiting Liverpool for the first time. I really hope I can go to Anfield and Goodison and meet the players."
Greg Rusedski and Virginia Wade are the other headliners at the Liverpool tournament, which runs from June 19-22.
Tournament director Anders Borg said: "We have been fortunate to boast some fantastic players in the past, but this year's line-up is the best yet.
"It is the first time that a current Wimbledon champion has been involved with the tournament and we couldn't be happier to have been able to bring Marion to this year's event."
