Tennis news: How Ash Barty’s secret Aus Open messages gave us incredible insight

Ash Barty’s open door policy for her nieces and nephew these days highlights the importance of connection to her. But her love of family was awakened long before then, says Robert Craddock.

It takes a special love of children to send them secret messages when the world is watching your every move.

But during last year’s Australian Open — her final tournament — Ash Barty had a plan.

She was in such imperious form her night matches were finishing early enough for most young children to still be awake so when autographing the glass shield in front of the camera she would scramble a cryptic message to her niece Lucy or nephew Oscar.

Family, particularly children, are never far away from her thoughts which is why Friday night’s announcement that Barty and husband Garry are expecting their first child was such a momentous occasion for the Barty clan.

Ash Barty and niece Lucy, whom she would occasionally send secret messages when she signed the camera lens post match during last year’s Australian Open. Picture: Nic Morley

Barty grew up with two elder sisters and a large flock of cousins and extended family around her that gave her a great sense of comfort.

“Our family was much more than just the five of us,’’ Barty wrote in her autobiography My Dream Time.

“With a large flock of relatives on both sides I grew up with a feeling of natural insulation from the outside world, by sheer weight of numbers.

“My cousins were my mates and there were dozens of them and we saw them every weekend. Family before anything and everything — that is what we were taught.’’

The Instagram post on Friday night which thrilled the tennis world.

Since retiring back to her new home and the simple life she craved in her home region of Springfield, Barty has luxuriated in seeing her nieces and nephew on a more regular basis, face-to-face rather than Face Time.

“The kids come over all the time,’’ Barty wrote in My Dream Time.

“Lucy calls and asks the inevitable question — ‘Can I have a sleepover?’ — and I respond the same way every time — ‘Of course you can, babe — come on over!’ What I love most about those moments is that they’re no longer special.

“They are special, of course, but now they’re also normal, not the exception.’’

Ash Barty and Evonne Goolagong Cawley with the Australian Open trophy. Picture: Michael Klein

Ash Barty and husband Garry Kissick at the Newcombe Medal ceremony. Picture: David Geraghty

Authors sometimes have to draw a deep breath before they tackle promotional book tours but Barty was in her element promoting her children’s book series Little Ash.

The series of photos on social media where she met youngsters showed Ash in her element as she signed her way around the country, enjoying every bit of it, captivated by the innocence of the youngsters and their stories.

Those who followed her trail used to talk among themselves about what a joy it would be for Ash when the days arrived that she would start her own family.

“You could tell how much she enjoyed dealing with the kids — it wasn’t a chore you could just imagine her being a great mum,’’ said one observer.

Former world No 1 Barty remains highly unlikely to return to the tennis circuit although her idol Evonne Goolagong Cawley in 1980 became the first mother to win Wimbledon for 66 years.

It can be done. And at age 26 she has time on her side but when she left it was clear Barty had climbed her mountain.

And, significantly, she has retired from tennis not once but twice.

There is unlikely to be a third time but life is full of surprises.