SACRIFICES WORTH IT SAYS ASH

ASH BARTY says her Wimbledon triumph is reward for the sacrifices she has been forced to make amid the Covid pandemic.

The world No.1 left home in Australia in March soon after the Aussie Open and, with the Olympics in Tokyo up next and the US Open at the end of August, it will be mid-september before she gets the opportunity to see her family and friends again, and to celebrate her win at SW19 with them.

Barty (with the trophy, above) said: “This absolutely makes all the sacrifices worth it.

“But everyone in their professions over their last 12 to 18 months has had to make sacrifices — the world has changed without a doubt. So I feel incredibly grateful. The surroundings we’re in, with the bubbles and rules, are different, but it’s not any better or worse, it is what it is.

“And it’s giving us an opportunity to do what we love so there are no complaints from me.

“This whole year has been an incredible adventure and we still have a little bit to go, but we’re looking forward to all of it.

“Wimbledon was an incredible experience.

“It was a fortnight where the stars aligned and my dream came true.”

Barty (bottom) beat Karolina Pliskova (below) 6-3 6-7 6-3 to become the first Australian to win the Wimbledon women’s singles title since Evonne Goolagong Cawley 41 years ago.

Goolagong Cawley said: “Ash certainly did me proud, she made me proud from the first time I saw her. She must have been about 13 and she was playing at the Australian Open.

“We said: ‘She’s going to be our next champion,’ and look at her now. Everyone reacts differently when they win Wimbledon for the first time.

“You actually turn numb, you’re in shock, just as Ash was at the end.

“One of the last messages I sent to her was: ‘Dreams do come true and it will come true for you.’

“I just felt so confident. I’m so happy for her and so proud for her.”