Ash Barty says walking away from tennis was best thing she ever did
Euphoric in victory, Ash Barty has reflected on the dark times that steeled her “full circle” Australian Open triumph.
World No.1 Barty is adamant she would never have won the Open, or either of her other two grand slam titles, had she not taken a 15-month hiatus six years ago.
Desperately homesick and burnt out from the grind of life on the gruelling world tour, the teenage prodigy dramatically quit tennis after a demoralising first-round US Open defeat in 2014.
Barty, now 25, says she was unsure then if sheād ever return to the sport.
āIt was an open door. It genuinely was a āmaybeā,ā Barty said while savouring her stirring 6-3 7-6 (7-2) Melbourne Park final victory over American Danielle Collins.
āI didnāt want to draw a line in the sand. I wasnāt prepared to draw a line in the sand.
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āI think not making that definite decision almost made the decision for itself, that (a return) was going to happen. It was just a case of when it would happen.ā
After a stint playing professional cricket for the Brisbane Heat in the WBBL, Barty re-embarked on her tennis comeback in early 2016.
The former Wimbledon junior champion hired Craig Tyzzer as coach and trusted her mentor to build the tight-knit Team Barty that remains in place six years on.
āWithout a doubt, this second phase of my career Iāve learnt so much more about myself as a person,ā said Barty.
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āIāve grown so much more as a person. Without that adversity I wouldnāt be half the person or player that I am now.
āWe all have to find our low points to grow from them. Being able to do that and make a really incredible team for this second phase has been the best part of it.
āRight from the start, from February 2016 when I played my first 25 thousand (dollar) tournament in Esperance ā just doubles.
āBeing able to start there with āTyzzā and essentially the same team that we have right now, it is really cool that weāve done it together because thereās no-one else Iād prefer to do it with.ā
But for all her talents and potential, Barty said she could never have imagined joining all-time greats Serena Williams, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic as the only active players to have won majors on clay, grass and hard courts.
āWe spoke about it as a team and understood and reflected on what (winning) Wimbledon meant,ā Barty said.
āThe French Open in 2019, I was a completely different person. I still had so much growing and learning to do and Wimbledon, I felt, well it was a dream.
āIt was the thing I always wanted as a child.
āAnd maybe now having experienced this at home and played probably my best slam from start to finish here in Australia and do it with such enjoyment is maybe a full-circle moment.
āUnderstanding what I want most as a player and a person and being able to experience that and have that opportunity to play seven matches on Rod Laver Arena in front of the Australian public and enjoy that with my team is really cool.ā
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