Ashleigh Barty, a former World No. 1, stated that she would have wanted to play Serena Williams one last time before the American's retirement at the conclusion of this year's US Open.
Barty said she is enjoying life after retirement and is glad to divert her attention from the courts in a speech at the introduction of her newest sponsor, the telecoms firm Optus. The former Wimbledon champion recounted feeling terrified when she first faced Serena Williams in a match at the 2014 Australian Open, which she ultimately lost.
"The first [time] I was a very young girl who was intimidated. The second time I thought I had a chance and I did. But the way that she [Serena Williams] plays and her greatness was too good for me," admitted Barty.
"I would have loved to have challenged myself one last time. That’s my competitive spirit, and me learning from the experiences that I had. Not many people on this planet get to say that they played Serena and I’m one of those few people that really got to experience her when she was at her best," - reflected Barty while adding: "And I think that was really exciting. It’s a memory and an experience that I’ll never forget and learnt a lot from."
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