Townsville Bulletin

Barty pips ‘legends’ to Hall of Fame gong

- LEO SCHLINK

FROM “fan-girl” to acknowledg­ment as Australia’s finest performer on the internatio­nal sporting stage, world No.1 Ashleigh Barty is celebratin­g another epic milestone after winning The Don.

Barty, 23, was last night awarded The Don – the Sport Australia Hall of Fame trophy named in honour of Sir Donald Bradman – after a year crammed with highlights.

The first Australian player in 46 years to win the French Open, the Queensland­er edged a field including Dylan Alcott, Cooper Cronk, Steph Gilmore, Craig Lowndes, Ariarne Titmus, Time Paine and Ellyse Perry.

“It’s incredibly

Barty said.

“I don’t feel like I deserve to be mentioned in the same sentence as many of the legends here.

“It’s a really good celebratio­n and appreciati­on of our sport all across the country and for me to be such a small part of that is amazing.”

Admitting to experienci­ng “fan-girl moments where I see athletes in the room that I’ve looked up to”, Barty credited her support team for much of her success.

“It’s really special to have a few different members of my team here because it’s a celebratio­n for all of us,” she said.

“I may be the only one out on the court playing the matches, but there’s a lot of people behind the scenes helping me in my day-to-day life.

“They invest so much time and energy into my career and make so many sacrifices to help me achieve my dream.”

Fresh from a trip alongside Evonne Goolagong Cawley to Edmonton Tennis Club near Cairns to surprise 25 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander players, Barty hopes to add further lustre to the year.

She will contest the $20 million WTA Finals in Shenzhen from October 27 before leading Australia’s charge in the Fed Cup final in Perth against France from November 9. humbling,”

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