How Ash Barty became extraordinary, just by being as ordinary as the rest of us
Whether she hoists the Wimbledon trophy for the first time this year or not, Queenslanders have plenty of reason to feel proud of Ash Barty, writes Michael Blucher
Ahh Wimbledon. Don’t you just love Wimbledon? Our annual lawn tennis fix, the walls of Boston Ivy, the strawberries and cream, players in white, serving and volleying, slipping and sliding, lunging and diving, all while the Royals look on from the comfort of the very royal enclosure.
In terms of the annual sporting calendar, it’s been a favourite ever since being there in 1987, when Cashie climbed up into the grandstand, like a cattle dog over sheep, after thumping Ivan Lendl in the final. Straights sets. I can still picture him in his black and white headband, raised arms in triumph, after the cross court volley on match point.
And then there was the other Pat – Rafter – going oh so close in 2000 and 2001, before little Lleyton finally hoisted the Aussie flag the following year. The Poo, If my memory serves me correctly, also went within a whisker of winning around that time.
I must admit, it’s all been a bit monotonous in recent years. Roger, Roger, Roger, Novak, Andy, Roger, Novak, Roger, Andy, Novak… . And in the women’s draw – far too many winners named Williams to be able to distinguish one year from the next.
But this year I’m back, sports fans. An emotionally invested, paid-up, card-carrying member of the Barty Party.
Seriously, has there ever been an elite Aussie sportsperson more worthy of national support than Ash Barty? So humble, so authentic, switching between ordinary and extraordinary, by simply gripping up a racket.
Every time I witness one of her press conferences I want to grab 100 different professional athletes and sit them down in front of the television. Here …watch this … see it’s not that difficult. She consistently gets it right, on and off the court,
Like after her first-round earlier in the week, when she beat Carla Suárez Navarro, the 32 year-old Spaniard, returning to the court after a life-threatening battle with cancer.
You might like
Barty cleverly deflected, making the moment all about the loser. Carla was the real winner. After all, what does tennis really matter, when you’ve been through what she’s been through?
“Your class and courage will forever be permanent. Congratulations Carla. A privilege sharing this moment with you,”Barty posted on her Twitter account after the match.
You betcha.
You’ve probably noticed when Barty talks, it’s rarely ”me” or “my” or “I”. It’s us, or our or we. We got it done. Our challenge ahead is significant. Team Barty – coach Craig, boyfriend Gary, manager Nikki, high performance guru Ben and of course her family – her mum and dad, her sisters and nieces. They’re all in it together. She just happens to be the one out on court, hitting the shots.
For all her global success, Barty has never once lost sight of where she’s come from. She’s a Springfield girl – that’s where she grew up, that’s where she still lives, in a house that backs onto her beloved Brookwater golf course, when of course she’s not travelling the globe.
Barty could afford to live anywhere she liked.
After the tournament in Stuttgart in April, she walked away with not one but two Porsches, the first for winning the singles, the second for turning up as a top-four-ranked player in the world. Shame she couldn’t accept either, on account of the corporate relationship she has with Jaguar.
The Jag people look after her well. Not so long ago, she asked if she could cash in some of her endorsement money, to get a car for her mum and dad.
Don’t be silly. It’s just a car. you keep your money – they can have this one.
Stay informed, daily
It’s fitting that parents should now be benefitting from their 25-year-old daughter’s on court success.
In so many ways, they are the rocks, they’ve readied her for success. Rob and Josie are the antithesis of the archetypal tennis parents – understated, balanced, stay out of the way types, who value good manners just as much as good groundstrokes.
Off his own bat, Rob will often venture out into the community – most commonly small regional centres, and through local tennis clubs, meet and talk with parents about their experiences. Just in case you’re interested, here’s what we did, here’s how we handled it. Seems to be going ok so far.
Yes, it is.
Unusually, in a high-performance sporting environment, Barty’s success has come while remaining conscious of the circumstances and needs of others. The Navarro match was a perfect example.
Unlike many, she’d also never queue jump – for shuttle buses and physio treatment – on account of her lofty world ranking. Barty’s the exact opposite – “you’ve got to meet up with your Dad for lunch? Sure – you go first, I can wait.”
There’s little wonder that her best friends on tour, outside of the Aussie girls of course, include the likes of Petra Kvitova and Kiki Bertens, two champion people, without an enemy in the global tennis village.
No question, good people attract good people. It must be said, the inverse also applies.
It’s no surprise that Barty got off to a slow start in her second-round match against Anna Blinkova – her beloved Richmond Tigers had just been upset by the Suns. How much does she love those “Tiges”?
Last year, mid match, she even instigated a “coaches call” to find out the score in the footy.
But we’re not meant to know that. So forget I even mentioned it.
Yes, there’s a lot to like about Ash Barty. And the Wimbledon party’s just getting under way.
With the best of British luck, in a couple of Saturdays’ time, we might have another Aussie terrier, clamouring up the stands of Wimbledon to celebrate with her people.
As we know, tennis is a team game. She’s just the one hitting the shots.
Want to see more stories from InDaily Qld in your Google search results?
- Click here to set InDaily Qld as a preferred source.
- Tick the box next to "InDaily Qld". That's it.
