Citing a string of injuries, Bartoli dropped the bombshell shortly after losing in the second round of the Cincinnati Masters to Simona Halep.
Bartoli, who is currently ranked a career-high seventh in the world, suffered a stunning 3-6, 6-4, 6-1 defeat to the 21-year-old Romanian.
"It's time for me to retire and to call it a career. I feel it's time for me to walk away," said the 28-year-old as she wiped away tears.
The announcement comes just two weeks before Bartoli was scheduled to compete in the US Open in New York.
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"I've been a tennis player for a long time, and I had the chance to make my biggest dream a reality," said Bartoli, who won more than $11 million in prize money during her 13-year career.
"I felt I really, really pushed through the ultimate limits to make it happen. But now I just can't do it anymore," she said. I've been through a lot of injuries since the beginning of the year. I really pushed through and left it all during ... Wimbledon."
Bartoli, who turned professional in 2000, has battled a series of injuries over the past few years and has played just three matches since her Wimbledon victory.
She won a match last week in Toronto over American Lauren Davis but lost to 33rd-ranked Slovak Magdalena Rybarikova the next day.
"I have pain everywhere after 45 minutes or an hour of play," Bartoli said. "I've been doing this for so long ... body-wise I just can't do it anymore.