The tiger within that drives Ash to succeed
for her love of Richmond footy club, I’m a Carlton fan. When we’re away she’d get up at all hours of the morning to watch her footy club,” Dellacqua said.
“I’d say ‘Do you think you should get a bit more sleep?’ but she would always get up. She just has so much passion for things away from tennis.”
Barty has stormed into the Sydney International final, defeating world No.1 Simona Halep, No.12 Elise Mertens, and No.9 Kiki Bertens in the past three days.
Regardless of today's result in the decider, the world No.15 will arrive in Melbourne with the weight of the nation on her shoulders – and that won’t bother her in the slightest, Dellacqua says.
“She genuinely wouldn’t be fussed, she couldn’t care less about expectation,” she said.
“It’s a really tough place being a tennis player, and it’s a lonely, brutal sport.
“Just having a friend, it helped me having Ash at the end of my career, and I’ve probably helped her starting her career. ”
Barty started playing doubles with Dellacqua when she was just 15, and the pair were runners-up at the Australian, Wimbledon and US Opens in 2013, and runners-up at the French Open in 2017.
Barty had quit tennis in 2014, and played cricket for the Brisbane Heat’s WBBL team in 2015/16, before returning to the court in 2016.
She credits parents, Robert, a Ngarigo indigenous Australian, and Josie, the daughter of English immigrants, for her competitive drive.
“No doubt it’s from my mum and dad, they were both golfers and athletes in their own right,” Barty said.
“Some kids are born with it and some aren’t, but I was extremely competitive from when I was very young.
“Being able to implement that into a sport was very natural to me, but I’m competitive in everything I do.”
Barty cites her settled personal life, including her relationship with golfer Garry Kissick, as the key to her oncourt success.
“I’m in a very happy place on and off the court, my private life is my private life, I’m certainly having a good time with my friends and loved ones, but I’m in a nice place and it’s definitely coincided with why I’m playing such good tennis,’ she said.
Barty’s idol is Evonne Goolagong Cawley, Australia’s indigenous tennis icon.
“Evonne has absolutely created the pathway, not just for indigenous boys and girls, but kids across the nation,’ Barty said.
“She is just such a special person, and I’m incredibly lucky to share heritage with her. That is a very special part of me that I’m extremely proud of, and I know she is as well.
“To be able to call her a friend is even better.”