Ashleigh Barty has shared how two Australian tennis icons inspired her to achieve three Grand Slams before her shock retirement earlier this year.
Barty was at the top of her game, having won Roland Garros, Wimbledon, and the Australian Open by 2022. However, the 26-year-old stunned the tennis world by suddenly retiring from the sport in March despite holding the WTA's number one spot.
Perhaps it was fitting that the former player won her final Grand Slam in her home nation at the Australian Open. The 26-year-old raced to the final at Melbourne Park without dropping a set before besting Danielle Collins 6-3, 7-6 in the final.
However, such successes like the ones in Melbourne, Wimbledon, and Paris don't come without some drive and inspiration. In a recent piece for the West Australian, the former world number one explained how Evonne Goolagong Cawley’s Wimbledon win in 1980 paved the way for players like Barty to gain motivation to succeed.
"When it comes to my own life, the two champions who have inspired me the most were responsible for iconic stories destined to be remembered forever in Australia."
"Evonne Goolagong Cawley’s triumph at Wimbledon in 1980, when becoming the first mother to win at the All England Club in the Open era, is one of the great achievements in tennis."
Ultimately, Barty left the game at the peak of her powers and it will remain a mystery about how many majors and WTA titles she could have won with a full career.
As a result, the former player will not be able to match her hero Cawley, who notched 11 major titles, including four Australian Opens, in a star-studded tennis career in the 1970s and 80s.
Reflecting on her own Australian Open triumph, Barty shared that one moment she will cherish forever was meeting Cawley and Catherine Barclay at Melbourne Park. Despite being the star of the moment, Barty said she couldn't help but feel in awe and respectful in the presence of her two idols.
"An amazing moment in my life occurred after this year’s Australian Open when, in the corridors of Melbourne Park, I saw Evonne together with Cathy."
"To share that success with my idols was wonderful and, for me, it felt like a full circle moment. They were there for my triumph, just as they had helped me through some testing times."
Barty wrote the piece to honour her heritage during the Indigenous Sports Month in Australia where they celebrate athletes with Indigenous heritage.