Celebrating the second anniversary of her famous Wimbledon triumph, Ashleigh Barty has declared she cannot wait to return to the All England Lawn Tennis Club.
The retired Australian, who became a mother last week to a baby boy named Hayden, fulfilled her destiny when defeating Karolina Pliskova in a thrilling final on 10 July 2021.
The triumph, which she recorded 50 years after her mentor Evonne Goolagong Cawley first won Wimbledon in 1971, was something she had dreamed of achieving as a young girl.
In a recent interview with wimbledon.com, Barty reiterated that she is happily retired and was looking forward to experiencing the joy of becoming a mother.
She is not lost to tennis, with the three-time Grand Slam champion mentoring younger Australian players while following the results of some of her former tour friends and rivals.
The 27-year-old is looking forward to returning to Wimbledon as soon as she can given the memories and goodwill she has experienced at The All England Club.
“Wimbledon is still that really, really special place for me. And one day I will get back there. I know it,” she said.
I want to go as a genuine spectator and be able to enjoy the strawberries and cream and Pimm's and sit on the lawn. It has not happened yet. But, yes, it will happen
“And I think it will be a regular occurrence, because it’s a place that brings back such fond memories for me. It is a very unique place.”
A champion at the Australian Open in 2022 in her last tournament as a player, Barty’s love affair with Wimbledon began as a young girl in Brisbane.
When not hitting tennis balls against a brick wall in her parents’ garage, she watched footage of Goolagong Cawley and other Australian greats playing.
The right-hander won the Wimbledon girls’ singles championship on her first visit to the Club in 2011 when defeating Irina Khromacheva 7-5, 7-6(3) in the final.
The girls’ draw that year also featured the 2022 Wimbledon finalist Ons Jabeur and 2014 runner-up Eugenie Bouchard, along with Madison Keys, Anett Kontaveit, Caroline Garcia, Beatriz Haddad Maia and Daria Saville.
The Queenslander made her senior debut a year later and reached the ladies’ doubles final while still a teenager when partnering Casey Dellacqua in 2013.
Barty, who was successful in 12 of the 16 singles matches she played in her five main draw appearances, described her date with destiny two years ago as a dream come true.
It was her version of a miracle on grass.
The No.1 seed entered The Championships under an injury cloud, having torn her adductor magnus muscle shortly before Roland-Garros in late May.
Wearing a dress inspired by the outfit Ted Tinling designed for Goolagong Cawley in 1971, the three-time Grand Slam champion eased her way into form throughout the Fortnight.
Hours before the final, she and Pliskova warmed up with their respective coaches on No.1 Court, sharing small talk and jokes with each other despite the magnitude of the occasion.
It was a gripping final where both players enjoyed some fine moments.
The Australian started brilliantly when winning the first 14 points, only for Pliskova to launch a gallant comeback in the second set before Barty prevailed 6-3, 6-7(4), 6-3.
Wimbledon is probably the only tournament that I will put on my calendar every single year and go, ‘Yep. I want to go back’
Barty recalled being in shock as she walked through the Wimbledon Members' Enclosure, where she met the Prince and Princess of Wales, along with legends Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova. It is a day that will live in her memory forever.
The news about the arrival of her son Hayden last week prompted discussion as to whether Barty would join champions including Caroline Wozniaki in returning to the tour as a mother.
Jabeur and No.2 seed Aryna Sabalenka said they had no doubt the former world No.1 was capable of making a successful comeback if she had the desire to.
But Barty said the passion of the supporters who make the atmosphere at Wimbledon so special is why she wants to return as a fan instead of as a player.
"There aren’t many tournaments around the world that I think players would want to go back to as a genuine spectator,” she said.
“But for me, Wimbledon is probably the only tournament that I will put on my calendar every single year and go, ‘Yep. I want to go back’. It's such a special place.
“But (I want to go) as a genuine spectator and be able to enjoy the strawberries and cream and Pimm's and sit on the lawn. It has not happened yet. But, yes, it will happen.”
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