World number one Ash Barty spoke about her culture and talked about staying in the present after a dominant 6-0 6-1 victory over Lesia Tsurenko.
It was a dominant 56 minute win for the world number one as she only dropped one game against the Ukrainian to cruise into the second round.
Barty is looking for her first grand slam on home soil and made a comfortable start to her title bid.
After the match the Australian reflected on her career and spoke about how important staying in the present is, “Where I am at the moment is a product of all the experiences that I have had, the hard learnings, the incredible moments, and I am where I am,” Barty told journalists in her post-match press conference.
“We just accept that, we enjoy the journey as we go, we try and be really present and enjoy the moment. I think just being here and being able to enjoy that moment regardless of how many times I’ve done it before or how many different experiences that I’ve had here at the Australian Open, I think being able to really enjoy the moment for what it is helps me get the most joy out of it.
“I think I have been able to do that, like I said, better the last few years of my career, and that is a reflection of the people that are around me. I’m pretty lucky to have those people to help me find a better perspective in life, I suppose.”
The experiences Barty has had so far have put her in a good place as she looks to continue her dominant position as world number one.
Also in her press conference Barty talked about celebrating her Australian culture and what First Nations Day means for her, “Yeah, it’s exciting to be able to celebrate my culture, celebrate the indigenous people of this land,” Barty said.
“I think it’s a brilliant way to bring the community together that’s not just sport. It’s art, education, so many different facets of our family, you know, of our heritage. I think it’s going to be a really special day.”
Barty’s indigenous culture is a celebration of who she is and the world number one is hoping she can claim a first Australian Open title to cap off her life journey at such a young age.
The Australian will next play on Wednesday where she will face Italian qualifier Lucia Bronzetti in the second round.
