Ashleigh Barty lifted the biggest title of her career by beating Karolina Pliskova in straight sets in the final of the Miami Open and has reached the top 10 in the WTA Ranking for the first time.
“I have had a unique journey. I think every player that walks on the court has had a different journey and different experiences. For me it’s very much a personal development of my game over the last two or three years to put me in this position”, said Barty during the post match press conference.
The player from Ipswich enjoyed a promising junior career reaching a career-high ranking of world number 2 after winning the Wimbledon Junior title in 2011. She reached the final at three Grand Slam doubles tournaments with Casey Dellacqua, including the match title at the Australian Open at the age of 16. In 2014 took a long leave from tennis and started playing cricket signing up with the Brisbane Heat. She played in the Women’s Big Bash League in 2014.
Ashleigh returned to tennis shortly before turning 20. She was ranked outside the top 250. She won her maiden WTA title at the Malaysian Open in Kuala Lumpur in 2017 and qualified for the WTA Finals in doubles with Dellacqua. She ended the 2017 WTA singles season ranked inside the top 20.
In 2018 she won the WTA Elite Trophy in Zhuhai and the four biggest doubles titles of her career, including her maiden Gand Slam title at the US Open with Coco Vandeweghe.
She started the 2019 season finishing runner-up to Petra Kvitova in the Sydney International final. She went on to reach her first Grand Slam quarter final at last January’s Australian Open in Melbourne. She took a re-match against Kvitova when she beat her Czech rival for the first time in her career.
“It feels like it is a long time ago now since I took the break and since I came back. I needed the break. Otherwise I don’t think that I would still be playing the game, to be honest. It’s been a few years now. I certainly feel I am a different person. I feel like I am a more complete player. I have been able to put myself into more high-pressure situations and in bigger matches. I think I had a new perspective. Obviously I am very appreciative of what I have and the people that give their time and their energy towards me and trying to help me become the very best that I can be. I am extremely grateful for those that are around me and very lucky to have such a genuine group of people”,said Barty.
Barty has become the first Australian player in history to win the Miami tournament.
“It’s been an amazing fortnight. It really has. We keep putting ourselves in these positions. I keep giving myself the opportunity to grow as a person, and I think that’s the most exciting thing. There were zero expectations. It’s an opportunity for me to continue to try and get better every day and to enjoy the journey we are on”.
The first 14 WTA tournaments of the the year have been won by 14 different players. A new generation of young players has dominated the first three months of the year clinching the most important titles of the year (Naomi Osaka at the Australian Open, Belinda Bencic in Dubai, Bianca Andreescu at Indian Wells and Ashleigh Barty in Miami).
“The incredible depth of the field on the WTA Tour is amazing. I think the level has evened out a lot. The depth has grouwn over the last few years. I think anyone in the draw has a legitimate chance of winning the tournament. The margins are getting smaller and smaller, particularly in the women’s game”.
