WATCH: Barty slides into ice bath dressed as character from The Lion King
WTA
Tennis fans got to view Ashleigh Barty as they had never seen her before when the former world No. 1 slid into an ice bath dressed as a character from The Lion King to raise awareness for a charity.
Until a few months ago, the world was used to watching Barty in the heat of battle on the court. They were battles the Australian won, explaining why she is a three-time Grand Slam champion.
The tennis world was stunned when the 26-year-old announced her retirement from the sport. She was still the world No. 1, but Barty seems content with her decision, which is the only thing that matters.
Last year's Wimbledon champion has been busy since then. She released her own children's book and was also recognized on the Queen's Birthday Honours list, along with some other Australian sports stars.
Barty is also known for being very charitable. That has been demonstrated by her involvement at the Big Freeze, which raises awareness about and raises money for helping those with motor neuron disease.
In the video below, Barty accepts the challenge of sliding into Australia's coldest ice bath. However, the 2019 champion also does this while dressed as Rafiki from The Lion King.
Barty's slide is hilarious to watch. Everything is done in a great spirit, and those watching loved watching their sporting hero take on the challenge. Although Barty did not rate her slide very highly, she commented on the wonderful day of the event.
"I hoped I performed a little bit better on the tennis court, but this is just the most beautiful day for the right reasons,I don't know if I'm happy or disappointed that I've seen my own footage. Because it wasn't pretty, was it? I had to start off holding it. And then I said, the moment is about Simba."
