By Jackson Graham
Retired Australian tennis superstar Ashleigh Barty has announced on social media she is expecting a baby.
On Instagram, Barty said 2023 was “set to be the biggest year yet”, posting a picture of her dog Origi with a pair of baby shoes.
“We are so excited for our new adventure,” she wrote, with an accompanying emoji of a baby.
The tennis champion married her long-time partner Garry Kissick in a private Queensland ceremony in July 2022.
Earlier this month, this masthead reported Barty would head back to the scene of her Australian Open triumph, committing to a range of appearances at Melbourne Park throughout the tournament, which starts later this month.
Barty retired from tennis in March 2022, aged 25, on top of the women’s rankings after becoming the first Australian in 44 years to win the Australian Open singles title.
In December 2022, she accepted Tennis Australia’s Newcombe Medal for a record fifth time, to go with her wins in 2017-19 and 2021.
No one else has been crowned Australia’s most outstanding tennis player more than three times.
The Australian Open 2022 was the second and final tournament the Queenslander played and won that year – before she announced her shock retirement, after also having a 21-month sabbatical from late 2014.
Barty claimed both the singles and doubles titles, with Storm Hunter (formerly Sanders), in Adelaide before reigning supreme at Melbourne Park.
Ash Barty married Garry Kissick in July 2022.Credit: Instagram/@ashbarty
Barty has repeatedly made clear this second retirement is different to her first, refuting any comeback suggestions as recently as November while launching her autobiography, My Dream Time.
She still finishes with a formidable on-court resume, including being the year-end No.1 for three straight years (2019-21), and holding top spot for the fourth-longest streak (114 consecutive weeks) and seventh-most overall (121).
Barty also reached three grand slam doubles finals alongside Casey Dellacqua, winning 15 singles titles, another 12 in doubles and almost $24 million in career prizemoney.
In November 2022, asked about a possible return to tennis during a visit to Melbourne Park, Barty said: “I’m done″.
Reminded that earlier that year she had uttered the words “never say never” about staging a comeback to the sport, Barty’s reply was clear.
“Never! I’m done ... No, no, no,” she said.
With Marc McGowan and Scott Spits
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