Bill Simons
Billie Jean King was loud and in-your-face. A relentless rebel with a bigger-than-life presence, she was hard to miss.
Martina Navratilova adeptly skipped out on communism and then bravely bolted out of the closet. Young Venus pranced about the court with beads in her hair and swagger in her stride. Icy and elegant Maria Sharapova had a cool, Sugarpova ‘tude, and was as comfortable on a fashion runway as on Center Court. Naomi Osaka went from being an enchanting innocent to a poignant justice warrior and then an advocate of mental wellness. And, need we note, no one does Wonder Woman drama like the world’s most famous woman athlete – Serena.
Ash Barty is different.
Whether you call her low-key, user-friendly or low-maintenance, a few things are clear. This “No worries, mate” champion is one laid-back athlete. Her mindset is, “I’m exactly where I want to be.” Her celebrity is rooted in a no-fuss, girl-next-door ordinariness. An Aussie of aboriginal heritage, Barty at her core is a jock. Galas, gowns and glitz don’t float her boat. Swimsuit issues aren’t her thing. Anything with a ball has appeal – it’s always a good day for a game. Why not go out and win a Brisbane golf tournament? Or how about a little cricket in the corridor after a quarterfinal?
Others may delight in sequined gowns or posh red carpets. Ash describes her wardrobe of choice: fading t-shirts. But she won’t be defined. Quickly she adds, “I don’t drive a s–t car. It’s a Jag.” And it’s not exactly shabby that she has endorsements ranging from Jaguar and streaming platforms to Australia’s most beloved food spread Vegemite and fancy Rado watches. Forbes ranked Barty, with her $13.1 million income, as the world’s third wealthiest female athlete.
But Barty is a kind of anti-celebrity celebrity. She confessed she got sick of seeing her face plastered on billboards all over Melbourne.
Barty is from the no-fuss, no-worries wing of our sport. She’s in line with great champions who approached tennis as “just a game.” Their spiritual grandfather is Rod Laver, who let his Dunlop do the talking. The ethereal Evonne Goolagong is Barty’s close friend and role model. Pete Sampras’ famous comment comes to mind: “I’m just a tennis player, nothing less, nothing more.”
Barty has been compared to Federer: she’ll brutally dismantle you on court, then be your buddy in the locker room. But she’s quick to dismiss any Federerian connection: “Obviously, by no stretch of the imagination are we on the same page.”
Okay, got it, understood.
But, like Federer, Ash taps into a dazzling arsenal of weapons: a dominant forehand, an underrated speedy serve with an array of tricky disguises and twists, a nasty slice backhand that destroys a foe’s rhythm, fleet movement, uncanny court awareness and seamless defense. She takes control and, if necessary, she morphs into a street-fighting woman who relentlessly punishes your weaknesses.
She’s unique – no one on the WTA tour commands so many sharp tools. Ease, mastery and confidence are hers. Few have as high a tennis IQ. She knows her foes’ every twitch and tendency. On court she manages matches with a Djokovic-like mastery. Her decision-making astounds.
She told Inside Tennis, “A lot of times decisions are automatic. It’s the patterns we practice…When I see space or a certain ball, most of the time I know exactly what I want to do. There’s not a lot of thought and there’s clarity…I pick the best option…It’s really simple, go with your gut, kind of first option and execute.”
Of late the French Open and Wimbledon champion and world No. 1 has been executing with astonishing efficiency. Sprinting through foes, the 5’ 5” battler reached the semis in just over 5 hours. She dropped serve just once and dropped Americans – Amanda Anisimova and Jessie Pegula – like she was taking a walk in Melbourne Park.
In the semis she would face yet another American – Madison Keys. As flawless in interviews as in matches, Barty spoke with a simple authenticity and generosity about her foe. “She’s a brilliant girl. Her play brings a smile to my face. It’s so nice to have Maddy back. I know she’s had a rough trot.”
Last year Keys struggled with poor play and agonizing inner pressure. Joyless and lost, she felt “frozen.” She ended 2021 by dropping seven of her eight last matches. Then she took the advice of her boyfriend, Bjorn Fratangelo, and switched her mindset. She tapped into why she played the game in the first place – the joy of tennis.
Maddy collected the title at the Australian Open warm-up in Adelaide and then kept on winning. Never mind that she began the year as No. 81 and was unseeded. En route to the semis she toppled three top seeds: No. 11 Sofia Kenin, No. 8 Paula Badosa and No. 4 Barbora Krejcikova.
Pundits thought she’d mastered her power game. Her composure was clear, her stamina, experience and drive obvious. The 2017 US Open finalist was again unleashing her ferocious serve and penetrating groundies to strike fear. She had a shot at overpowering Barty, right?
Wrong. Low chips, convincing forehands, and counterpunching returns that disarmed Keys were all a part of a swift, 62-minute master class the 25-year-old Barty offered. Of course, there were moments when Maddy blasted brilliant winners. But other times, she was lunging, off-balance, out of rhythm and far out of her strike zone.
Barty promptly swept to a 6-1, 6-3 win to become the first Aussie woman to reach the Australian Open finals since Wendy Turnbull in 1980.
Saturday, in the final, Ash will face two foes. The No. 27 seed Danielle Collins put on a stunning power ball display as she ripped through the favored Iga Swiatek to reach her first Grand Slam final. The 28-year-old scored 28 winners and suffered only 13 unforced errors as she rebuffed the No. 7 seed and former French Open champ. The elated Floridian said her victory was “almost surreal.”
What will also be almost surreal will be Barty’s unseen foe in the final – history. No Aussie man or woman has won the Australian Open title since Chris O’Neil 44 years ago, in 1978. Clearly, if anyone can do it, it’s Battling Barty.
All of Australia will be on the edge of their seats. The weight of a nation will be squarely on her shoulders. But Ash isn’t about to make a fuss: “I’ll absolutely embrace it…It’s fun. It’s brilliant to be playing in the business end of your home Slam. I’m not gonna lie about that. It’s amazing.”
And so is Barty.
