Ash Barty — a World No. 1 — deserves more respect

The fact that a men’s tennis match is deemed more popular than the current world number one’s opening round should be shocking. Yet, as any sports fan will tell you, it comes as no real surprise, writes Kate Salemme.

Reigning French Open champion. Tick. World No.1. Tick. Australian. Tick.

Ash Barty is everything the Australian sporting public has wanted in a tennis superstar for a long time, and yet her growing list of impressive achievements still wasn’t enough for her match to be broadcast, in full, in her home country.

This should come as a shock, but sadly, it doesn’t.

Channel 7’s decision to broadcast Nick Kyrgios’ clash with fellow Australian Jordan Thompson in full, rather than cut to coverage of Barty when her match with China’s Zheng Saisai started is just the latest example of women’s sport being cast aside for the men’s alternative.

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The network, through sport presenter Mark Beretta explained their decision on Wednesday morning, saying producers faced a tough decision given its deal with Wimbledon says it can only show one match on one channel at any one time.

Ashleigh Barty’s Wimbledon win against China's Zheng Saisai was not televised in full in Australia. Picture: Daniel Leal-Olivas/AFP

“People have been watching [Kyrgios and Thompson] for two hours and at the climax of the match, we’re gonna say, ‘Let’s go to Ash now.’ That’s the difficult decision,” he said.

“So what we did, we showed a bit of Ash, and the best of Ash that was happening (of the other match) and we flicked between the two matches until Nick was done and then we went with Ash. That’s how it unfolded.”

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But this is a story all too familiar to many female athletes and sporting legends — not just Ash Barty.

There have been countless times where I’ve stayed up all night waiting for Serena Williams to play an international match only to be disappointed upon the realisation a different match — usually men’s — is being broadcast in favour of arguably the greatest tennis player there has ever been, who has won 23 grand slam titles — the most of any player, male or female, in the Open era.

Whether it’s tennis, WNBL basketball, soccer or more recently AFLW, this is just the latest example of women’s sport being treated like a second-class citizen.

Ashleigh Barty, the world number one women’s tennis player, is what we want to watch more of. Picture: Mike Hewitt/Getty

Channel 7 is in the ratings business, we understand that, but at the end of the day sport fans want to see the best players. And right now, there’s no one better in women’s tennis, or in Australian tennis, than Barty.

The Queenslander is a worldwide superstar whose humble personality and classic style has won over not only the tennis world but sport lovers around the world, yet her own country was denied the opportunity to watch her play.

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Barty’s friend and former doubles partner Casey Dellacqua raised a valid question when she tweeted: “Can’t help but wonder if the roles were reversed and you were showing a women’s match with 2 aussies & we had a world number 1 male start playing on another court that u wouldn’t stop the coverage & cross over to that match”.

The growing feeling is the Australian public isn’t as in love with Kyrgios as it once was and yet love and admiration for Barty has never been greater.

The decision was out of touch.

Hopefully Channel 7 has learnt from its mistake and the Australian public has the opportunity to follow Barty’s her quest for back-to-back major titles live.

Kate Salemme is a sports writer for the Herald Sun.