Ash looking forward to looking back
ASHLEIGH Barty will next month sit back, crack a cold beer and hit the play button to finally watch the match which forever changed her career and life.
Four months on from the French Open final triumph over Czech Marketa Vondrousova, Barty is yet to watch a replay of the 6-1, 6-3 romp. As has been the case with Barty since her return to tennis in 2016, the focus has always been the present and future — rarely the past.
But after a wondrous 2019 campaign, where she created history by succeeding where so many others had failed at Roland Garros and rose to world No.1, Barty simply hasn’t had the time to bask in the glory. Now, as a stunning season fades into twilight, Barty plans to celebrate — albeit in her own muted, understated style.
“It’s important to be able to sit down at the end of the whole season and relive some of the memories,” she said. “I’m actually really looking forward to sitting down to watching my final in Paris. I haven’t seen the match over yet. I’m excited to sit down and actually watch that one with a cheeky beer.”
Aware there are still two more major objectives ahead — the $20 million WTA Finals in Shenzhen and the Fed Cup final in Perth — Barty is still slightly awestuck at her towering feats this year.
“It’s been remarkable, it really has,” she said.
“After the US Open, I sat down and decided I wanted to target the last month of the season, in particular, to make sure I wasn’t just physically ready but mentally prepared to do all I needed to do in those last four weeks.
“To be able to play as well as I did, particularly in Beijing, was pleasing.
“Now we’ve got a couple of big really exciting weeks coming up.
“But, in the same breath, I can see a big light at the end of the tunnel and I can’t wait to have a couple of quiet weeks. The beauty of this season is that I’ve overcome a few different challenges and a few different hurdles.
“I think the French Open is a standout, but the two Fed Cup ties have also been remarkable. The week in Miami was great. It was the first time I felt I had that consistency at the top level.
“Hopefully we still have this Fed Cup final to add to the highlights.”