Rare look at Ash Barty’s life after tennis: ‘Now I’m fulfilled and happy in other ways’
The retired world No. 1 gives a candid insight into her post-tennis life and the ‘joy and chaos’ of motherhood.
If there’s one thing Ash Barty still misses about professional tennis since she retired as world no. 1 in March 2022, it’s the “thrill of the fight”: the competitive element that goes hand-in-hand with elite sport.
“The moment just before you walk out onto the court; I’ll have had a discussion with my coach about tactically what we need to execute to win this tennis match,” she elaborates to Stellar.
“Without a doubt, tennis has been such an enormous part of my life, and I had such a fulfilling, happy career. Now I’m just fulfilled and happy in other ways.”
In the time since she put down her racquet as a pro, the 29-year-old has married professional golfer Garry Kissick, established the Ash Barty Foundation, and published a memoir as well as several books for children.
On top of that, she has become a mum to two youngsters: son Hayden, 2, and five-month-old daughter Jordan.
“Both my husband and I are very grateful that we’ve got two happy and healthy kids that have brought so much joy and chaos into our lives,” she says.
“It’s about appreciating the little things, and I’m certainly able to enjoy those little things each and every day. I’m very lucky.”
It’s golf rather than tennis that Hayden has gravitated towards, with his parents enjoying watching their son’s current obsession with the game – complete with his own set of pint-sized golf clubs – and the potential of having yet another professional golfer in the family.
“He’s golf-mad,” Barty shares.
“Well, he’s sport-mad. He’s such an outdoors kid – like I was, like a lot of Queensland kids are.”
Barty’s retirement almost four years ago, at the top of her game, came as a shock to the world, and ignited conversations about what ambition and success mean for young athletes. Then, this October, four-time Olympic gold medallist swimmer Ariarne Titmus did the same, announcing her retirement at 25 – the same age Barty was when she stepped away from the circuit.
“Ariarne is just an incredible athlete,” Barty says. “She’s a person who deserves to be celebrated, not only for her accolades in the pool, but also her contribution …
“I was going to say ‘off the court’, but out of the pool!
“She’s an amazing person who has been an inspiration for so many young kids, and young swimmers in particular. I think this is just the beginning for her – the beginning of her next chapter.”
As her household approaches their first Christmas as a family of four, Barty says her son is already very excited. “Hayden is at a great age now. He understands the concept and loves it. “He’s got four older cousins as well who help him along the way.
“It’s nice to just have a pretty quiet day, with the kids getting their presents.”
But while that might be the perfect Christmas for the children, Barty has her own version – which, fittingly and unsurprisingly for their athletic family, involves sport.
“Then we get set for the Boxing Day Test,” she says, laughing. “We all sit down and watch the cricket. That’s my dream Christmas.”
Also on her roster over the summer break is her work as an ambassador for suncare brand Banana Boat and its new Sport and Kids SmartMist Sunscreen Spray.
After “chasing the sun in each continent” as a tennis player, and having parents who made sure she wore sunscreen from a young age, keeping sun-safe is a big part of Barty’s ethos. And now that she has kids of her own, it has become even more crucial.
“Sun safety is a massive part of Australian culture,” Barty tells Stellar.
“Applying sunscreen is as important as brushing our teeth each morning. We make sure we put our sunscreen on before we head out the door and walk the dogs.
“That’s how we always start our day. Then it’s the top-up, the reapply before we go to the park or ride bikes or whatever it is, because we’re outside for most of the day.
“It’s a really, really important message for all kids to know.”
This article originally appeared in Stellar. For more from Stellar, click here.
