Ash Barty had the nation collectively cheering following her epic win at the Australian Open in 2022.
WATCH: The moment Ash Barty won her historic Wimbledon title
The plucky Queenslander delighted Aussie tennis fans when she won her first Australian Open championship with a 6-3, 7-6 (7-2) triumph over American Danielle Collins on Saturday night, breaking a 44-year title drought for Australia in women’s singles in Melbourne.
It is her third major singles title, following her successes at the 2019 French Open and last year’s Wimbledon.
To celebrate the popular sports star’s major achievement, we take a look at five things you should know about tennis pro, Ash Barty.
WHAT A CHAMP
At just 15, tasted Wimbledon glory, winning the Grand Slam junior event, and becoming the first Aussie girl to win any junior Grand Glam title since Jelena Dokic at the 1998 US Open. Now, the Aussie star can say she has taken out the Australian Open championship, making her the second First Nations woman to win the Australian Open, with Goolagong Cawley claiming four championships in the 1970s.
FAMOUS FRIENDS
When she was just 13, Ash spent a week with tennis legend Andre Agassi and wife Steffi Graf at their home in Las Vegas. “I remember and I’m always rooting for her, that’s for sure,” Agassi told The Age.
She was obviously too young to hit the gaming tables at the hotels, but we hope Ash had a ball at a Vegas show.
GAME CHANGER
Did you know Ash was once a cricket star? Needing a change, she took a break from tennis after the 2014 US Open, and eventually signed up with the Brisbane Heat to play in the Women’s Big Bash League in 2015. But y 2016 she was back on the court playing tennis.
SPRINGFIELD, SPRINGFIELD
Ash is of mixed heritage. Her father, Robert is Ngarigo Indigenous Australian and her mother, Josie is the daughter of English immigrants. Ash also has two older sisters. The family grew up in Springfield, a suburb of Ipswich, west of Brisbane.
LOVE MATCH
You might wonder when a tennis pro has time for romance. Ash’s boyfriend is Garry Kissick, who she introduced to the world as her beau in 2017, when Ash brought Garry to the John Newcombe Awards and the couple made their red carpet debut. It was here that Ash would win her first of two consecutive Newcombe Medals.
Months later, the two watched a Brisbane Roar game on October 13, 2017. With both the tennis player and her beau posting from the event on their Instagram accounts, this was the first time they ever shared snaps together on social media.
Ash and Garry are not yet married, though they excitedly announced their engagement in November 2021.
Posting a beautiful photo that showed off her engagement ring, Ash called Garry her “future husband” in the post, which was met with well wishes from her adoring fans.
“Garry and I have been together for a long time now and I had designed the ring with him,” she told the Courier Mail of the proposal.
“We are obviously excited now for the next chapter. We were at home on the couch with the puppies. It was very much just us. It was perfect for us. Everyone has their unique way of doing it.”
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