Ashleigh Barty was 11 or 12 the first time she attended a final at the Australian Open. As a young player there as part of a training camp, she was amazed by how professional it was and how all of the players were so focused.
Being there sparked something in her.
“Being able to get a taste of that kind of lit the flame,” Barty said earlier this week. “You wonder what you can achieve. You wonder what you can do.”
On Saturday, more than a decade after her first experience at Rod Laver Arena, Barty left herself, and all those watching, little to wonder about as she defeated Danielle Collins, 6-3, 7-6 (2), in the Australian Open final to become the first Australian player, of either gender, to win the title in 44 years. As an adoring and vocal crowd looked on, Barty made history.
The pressure had gotten to other top Australian players before, even those who had won majors elsewhere….
