World No.1 tennis stars Ash Barty and Dylan Alcott cap outstanding seasons with Newcombe Medal honour

Selectors couldn’t split two outstanding nominees for this year’s Newcombe Medal, which is hardly surprising considering the success Ash Barty and Dylan Alcott have enjoyed.

Wimbledon champion Ash Barty’s sensational year on the court ended with her winning the Newcombe medallist for the fourth time. Picture: Getty Images

World No.1 tennis stars Ash Barty and Dylan Alcott sat on a balcony together in mid-July as they both waited to play in a Wimbledon final.

They were killing time with their respective teams while the rain fell, drinking coffee and watching St Kilda beat Brisbane in a Round 17 AFL match on an iPhone.

The celebratory beers Barty, 25, and Alcott, 31, would later share – after each was crowned Wimbledon champion – were not even on their radar.

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Dylan Alcott won the Newcombe Medal for the second time.

Five months later and back home, they shared the limelight again as this year’s joint Newcombe medallists, the highest individual honour in Australian tennis.

“It’s pretty awesome – I’m getting lost for words, to be honest,” retirement-bound Alcott said.

“When I won the Newk in 2016, it was a really big, massive moment. It was a real glass-ceiling shattering moment, because an athlete with a disability had never really won an award like that.

“It’s a notorious, able-bodied award and it’s kind of weird now, but it feels a bit more normal, doesn’t it? And that’s so cool.

“To share it with Ash, who is one of my good mates but also just such a legend of a person … is a super, super massive honour.”

Alcott won the ‘Golden Slam’ this year, clinching all four grand slam titles in the wheelchair quad singles and Paralympic gold ahead of his final Australian Open in January.

Barty’s won the Newcombe Medal a record four-straight times – it wasn’t held last year, because of the Covid-19 pandemic – and she also shared her 2018 victory with Alex de Minaur.

This latest triumph separates her from triple medallist Sam Stosur.

The honour caps a brilliant season where Barty won her second grand slam singles championship and first at Wimbledon, a tour-leading five titles and finished as the WTA’s top-ranked player for the third-straight year.

Joint Newcombe medallists Dylan Alcott and Ash Barty have developed a strong bond.

The WTA and ITF again crowned her the best female singles player of the year.

Barty was reluctant to call this her best season yet but credited her team, including coach Craig Tyzzer, for her ability to perform on all surfaces and throughout the difficult Covid circumstances.

“It’s been an exceptional year and to be able to share it with Dylan is incredible,” Barty said.

“The year that he’s had – he’s the only person to achieve a Golden Slam and I think it’s pretty cool for him to be able to do that in his sport, so to be able to share that with him is really rewarding.

“It’s been a tough year, but I certainly wouldn’t change any of it.”

The other nominees for the Newcombe Medal were US Open doubles champion Stosur and Olympic bronze medallist John Peers.

AWARD-WINNERS

Newcombe Medal: Ash Barty and Dylan Alcott

Spirit Of Tennis: Louise Pleming

Coaching Excellence (club): Domenic Marafiote (ETKG Tennis Club, SA)

Coaching Excellence Development: Sam Wall (Coromandel Valley Tennis Club, SA)

Coaching Excellence Performance: Francois Vogelsberger

Excellence in Officiating: Marko Savic

Female Junior Athlete of the Year: Taylah Preston

Male Junior Athlete of the Year: Philip Sekulic

Most Outstanding Athlete with a Disability: Ben Weekes and Timothy Gould

Most Outstanding Club: Fawkner Park Tennis Centre (Vic)

Most Outstanding Professional Tournament: Warrnambool Lawn Open (Vic)

Most Outstanding School: Cobdogla Primary School (SA)

Most Outstanding 35+ Tennis Senior: Glenn Busby and Sue Willis

Volunteer Achievement Award: Liz Tektonopoulos (Greenvale Tennis Club, Vic)

Barty offers support for unvaxxed teen

World No.1 Ash Barty has spoken with rising star Olivia Gadecki about her decision not to get vaccinated for the Australian Open but won’t try to change her mind.

Gadecki’s call not to be inoculated against Covid-19 means she is unable to play any of the Australian tournaments in January and her immediate playing options beyond that are uncertain.

The 19-year-old, who was in Australia’s Billie Jean King Cup squad, would have been a strong contender for an Australian Open wildcard, after starting the year unranked and climbing to No.237.

Barty has served as a mentor and friend to her fellow Queenslander, who the dual grand slam champion describes as “an extreme talent” who is going to have “a very successful career”.

They haven’t caught up in person since both returned home from months on the tour but have discussed the situation.

“I’ve spoken to her a little bit, but she’s an adult and she has her own career and she makes her own decisions,” Barty said.

“That’s something I’ve said to her a lot of the time. For me, I’ve grown up and made my own decisions that I’m accountable for and she‘s done the exact same thing.

Olivia Gadecki’s vaccination status means she can’t play in next month’s grand slam event.

“So I’m not in a position where I’m going to try and sway her or do anything, in a sense, to change her mind.

“I’m here as a friend, to support her and love her and whenever I see Liv, I try and catch up with her and we chat through everything, not just tennis.”

Gadecki would have been in line for a minimum payday of $90,000 if she received a main draw singles wildcard – but Barty warned against linking her decision with money.

“Life is not all about money. In fact, that’s very low down on anyone’s priority list,” she said.

“So I think for Liv it’s time for her to reconnect with her family and the ones that she loved the most.

“It’s the decision that she’s made. I continue to chat to her and my opinion of her changes not at all.

“I’m proud that she’s made her decision for her reasons – for her right reasons – and that’s all you can do – is make the right decision for you.”

Originally published as World No.1 tennis stars Ash Barty and Dylan Alcott cap outstanding seasons with Newcombe Medal honour