The way Ashleigh Barty has been able to consistently perform at such a high level so far this season after spending a year on the sidelines through the pandemic has been nothing short of remarkable.

The Australian world No.1 won her first tournament back when she returned to action in Melbourne in February, then added two more titles to her tally in Miami and Stuttgart and made the final of the WTA 1000 event in Madrid.

A hip injury scuppered her Roland-Garros campaign last month but Barty has rebounded in stunning fashion by reaching her first Wimbledon final – 10 years after lifting the girls’ singles trophy at the All England Club.

Her straight-sets dismissal of 2018 champion Angelique Kerber in the semi-finals was a masterpiece and it earned her a showdown with former world No.1 Karolina Pliskova.

Barty has raised many eyebrows with her 2021 form so far, but not her coach’s, who had complete faith in his charge to begin with.

“Nothing ever surprises me with Ash,” Barty’s mentor Craig Tyzzer told reporters on the eve of the final.

“She's an incredible athlete. Grass is such a different surface. We don't play on it for very long. Especially Ash, this is her one grass tournament for the year. To be able to come out and play, to see the quality of what she's able to bring, what she's able to play on a big stage – I thought yesterday's effort [against Kerber], when things got really tough, she stood up well. I think that was just a testament to her ability to cope with those things.”

Barty’s capacity to adjust is one of her biggest strengths, be it on the court or off it. This year has brought its unique set of challenges and has forced the 25-year-old and her team to hit the road for a lengthy stretch of time due to the Covid restrictions that make it difficult for her to fly home to Australia between tournaments.

Team Barty departed Australia in March ahead of Miami and are not expected to return Down Under until after the US Open in September (potentially post-Indian Wells in October).

“It's really different. This is the longest we've ever been away,” explained Tyzzer.

“Because we missed all of last year, in the end Ash really missed playing tennis, the competition, that side of it, she really put her head down and said, ‘Okay, if this is what we have to do, this is what we have to do’. She's accepted it a lot better.

“We've made it as enjoyable as we possibly can. So far it's been great.”

On court, Barty has raised her level with each round through these Championships – a “slow build” that has brought great satisfaction to her coach and has also caught the eye of former world No.1 Tracy Austin, who is commentating for the BBC this Fortnight.

Austin was particularly impressed by how Barty rebounded from a 2-5 deficit against Kerber in the second set of their semi-final, and how quickly she made the necessary adjustments to come through in straight sets.

“You have a lethal slice that stays down low that she can play, short, deep, angle; and then you’ve got the forehand that’s the hammer, and then the serve. The serve is a huge weapon, even though she’s five foot five. It’s not going to blast you off the court with it, [but] it’s so accurate and close to the line that she gets a lot of aces, freebies and quick points,” Austin told wimbledon.com, as she broke down Barty’s grass-court game.

“I haven’t discussed the forecourt, where she’s very comfortable with the volley. She just has a really complete game.

“That variety, that all-court game, when you’re playing different styles, she’s able to really make adjustments and now she has the confidence and trust in herself because she’s won so many matches, that in a match, she gets down 5-2, she doesn’t seem to panic, she keeps biding her time and adapting her game.”

Austin is happy to see a reigning world No.1 produce such great results on a consistent level – something that had been somewhat lacking on the women’s tour – and sees Barty as the favourite against Pliskova in Saturday’s final.

“I think the fact that she has played better with each match here and is now in the final, and it’s the 50th anniversary of Evonne’s win here, who is her idol, that’s not lost on most people, including Ash,” said Austin, referring to Barty’s compatriot and idol Evonne Goolagong Cawley, who won the first of her two Wimbledon singles trophies in 1971.

One win away from a maiden Wimbledon crown and a second Grand Slam title, Barty is on the cusp of fulfilling a lifelong dream, one she says she only got the courage to vocalise after years of learning and exploring that finally got her to a place where she is “comfortable within her own skin”.

“I think it takes a lot to come out and make a statement like that, to say this is what I want to do,” Tyzzer says of Barty’s journey towards announcing Wimbledon as a serious goal on her agenda.

“I think it's always been on her mind. But to come out and say it is a big step. You put it out there. But Ash has been the sort of person who will put it on the line. She'll do her best. If it doesn't work out, it doesn't work out. She’s not afraid to try.”

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