Ashleigh Barty and her astonishing comeback story to WTA No. 1
By Alex Hyman
Ashleigh Barty is one of tennis’ great comeback tales. Her dream of becoming world number one became true in June of 2019. Learn more about her astonishing story, including her spell as a cricket professional, here.
“I’ve never seen a kid keener to turn up” – Jim Joyce, former tennis coach of Ashleigh Barty
Ashleigh Barty is a native of Queensland, Australia. Barty began playing tennis at 4 years old at the West Brisbane Tennis Centre with coach Jim Joyce. From the first ball she hit, Joyce saw a special player. He described her as having “as good a hand-eye coordination as he’d seen in all his years coaching.”
“My first trip overseas was six or seven weeks in Europe. I cried every night. I remember telling Mum that I hated it.”
Being from Australia, Barty spent most of her junior years traveling to tournaments all over the world. Barty found life as a touring junior player very challenging. Nevertheless, she had quite the junior career.
At just 15, and up against 18 year olds, Barty won the Girls’ Singles at the 2011 Wimbledon Championships. It was only in January of that same year that Barty had played her first junior Grand Slam event. She was making huge strides already. The last Aussie girl to win a junior Grand Slam was Jelena Dokic in 1998.
April, 2010 marked Barty’s first appearance in a professional tournament. With drips and drabs of both singles and doubles, Barty continued to play in both girls’ and women’s events for the next two years.
2013 was the year that Barty started to play primarily on the WTA tour. She was awarded wildcards into the Australian Open, French Open and US Open where she racked up two first round wins in Paris and New York.
At such a young age, Barty made a habit of breaking tennis records. Maybe this was part due to her friend and inspiration Evonne Goolagong. In reaching the final of the women’s doubles age 16 at the 2013 Australian Open with partner Casey Dellacqua, she was the youngest player to reach a Grand Slam final since 2004. However…
“All that I was thinking about was getting home to my family”
At the end of 2014, Barty decided to take a break from tennis. Traveling the world from such a young age, without seeing family or friends, eventually took its toll on the 18-year-old Aussie. She returned home to Queensland because of what she described as the need to refresh and find herself. This was when cricket found its way into her life.
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“I met a great new group of friends through cricket, and that took the pressure off tennis a little bit”
Barty had never previously played cricket apart from with her family for fun. However, after meeting with the Australian National Team, she quickly became eager to play. With Barty’s hand-eye coordination, the chances were on her side for having a natural flare for cricket.
Barty signed to play for the Queensland Fire in the 2015-16 season and also played for the Brisbane Heat team in the new Women’s Big Bash League.
“Just being able to open myself up to a new world and sort of get outside of that tennis bubble that we do live in when we are on the road 30 odd weeks a year… it just relaxed me and I was able to find the drive and the passion to play tennis again.”
These words say it all. With some valuable time spent at home and away from the brutality of the touring lifestyle, Barty fell back in love with tennis.
For tennis fans, it is such a relief that Barty was able to rediscover her passion for tennis. With her unique playing style that we see today, Barty gives tennis fans something exciting to look forward to every time she steps onto the court.
Fast-forward to the 2017 Malaysian Open to when Barty won her maiden WTA singles title. This victory, along with numerous impressive tournament runs, earned her a career-high ranking of number 17 in the world to end the season.
2019 was the year dreams came true.
In March, Barty entered the WTA’s top 10 following her title at the Premier Miami Open.
The French Open saw Barty become the first Australian to claim a Grand Slam title since Sam Stosur at the US Open in 2011. The win rocketed her to number two in the world.
In quick succession, Barty followed up her French Open title with victory early in the grass court swing at the Birmingham Classic. This run took Barty to number one in the world.
“It has certainly been the most amazing month of tennis for us and really an amazing three years.”
The Aussie wrapped up the year triumphant at the prestigious WTA Finals, where the top 8 players in the world face off. Year-end world number one and awarded the WTA Player of the Year honor to top off an impeccable year.
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“I want to do everything possible to win a tennis match. But, at the end of the day, you shake your opponent’s hand, you look ‘em in the eye and you say too good mate”
Perhaps the most inspiring feature of Ashleigh Barty is the way she carries herself. Fans from all over Australia get behind their world number one. What is so likable about the young Aussie is her personality and grace she presents herself with on and off the court. Barty is a great ambassador for women’s tennis and indeed the game altogether. Long may her success continue.