Ash Barty reveals the secret post-match Wimbledon moment that will link the superstar with her idol for life

When Ash Barty won her Wimbledon title she did so 50 years after her idol Evonne Goolagong Cawely, now she reveals the secret post-match moment that links them forever.

Ash Barty cannot wait for a show and tell moment with Evonne Goolagong Cawley where she will reveal the secret Wimbledon tribute which melted her heart and linked the legends for life.

It seems world No 1 Barty’s popularity stretches all the way to the Wimbledon locker room where female attendants decided to do some unconventional interior decorating to honour Barty’s Wimbledon win this year, 50 years after her idol, Goolagong Cawley, won the same title in 1971.

Ash Barty has a close bond with fellow tennis legend Evonne Goolagong Cawley.

“Not a lot of people know that in that locker room there are no photos - but this day after the final there was one put up of Evonne,’’ Barty said during a photo shoot for a new Uber Eats commercial in Brisbane on Thursday.

“One of the coolest moments came when I got back and the locker room ladies had put this black and white photo of Evonne when she won 50 years ago on the door as I walked past.

“I got a photo of myself holding up my (Wimbledon’s) members pin for the first time in front of that photo of Evonne. I just cannot wait to show Evonne that photo. Because she will understand how mysterious the Wimbledon’s women’s locker room is.

“I don’t think the photo of us needs to be out there in public but I cannot wait to share it with Evonne, knowing she had had that moment as well.’’

Barty is about to leave her new Brisbane home to play events in Adelaide and Sydney before next month’s Australian Open in Melbourne where she plans to meet with fellow Indigenous legend Goolagong Cawley for the first time since her Wimbledon success.

Ash Barty says a photo of Goolagong Cawley in Wimbledon’s women’s locker room helped inspire her. Picture: Supplied.

“I can’t wait to see her. I will give her a hug and to connect with her will be a simple thing for us.’’

Barty remains one of sport’s most relaxed, grounded superstars as evident as she glided through a day’s filming for commercial designed to promote Uber Eats grocery and convenience businesses. It has a light touch which suits Barty and three different online endings.

Barty has been world No 1 for just over two years and while the top ranking has weighed heavily on many shoulders including a former Australian male No 1 who started having nightmares when he became the top gun, Barty is philosophical about her lifespan at the top.

“If I wake up one morning if I am No 1 and the next morning I am number 10 it does not change how I feel as a person. A really important part of my life is being at peace with who I am.

“At the moment it is just this added bonus that we are sitting on top of the world and it has been a hell of ride to try and get there.

“The thing is I know I have done so much hard work to get to this point but it was never a guarantee. It was never a certainty. You have to earn every single little bit of it. But those are not the things in life which make me the happiest.’’

Though she will hire a house in Melbourne, Barty is not planning any extreme measures to avoid the threat of Covid-19.

“For me not a lot changes to be honest. I am very much a home body. Typically when I am playing tournaments I don’t do a lot outside the hotel room other than going to practice courts.’’

Revealed: Inside Ash Barty’s ‘perfect’ engagement setting

Unassuming world No 1 Ash Barty has spoken of her “perfect’’ engagement setting – at home on the couch with her husband-to-be and three dogs.

In the understated fashion for which the duo have become renowned, there was no fancy A list party called to celebrate the moment when popular Wimbledon winner Barty became engaged to long time partner Garry Kissick last month.

They kept it a secret for a week so they could inform close friends before announcing it on Instagram after pondering whether they actually wanted to announce it all.

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Ash Barty reveals to News Corp the FILA outfit she will wear at this year’s Australian Open, during a commercial shoot for Uber Eats. Picture: Zak Simmonds

“Garry and I have been together for a long time now and I had designed the ring with him,’’ Barty told News Corp on Thursday during the filming of a commercial for Uber Eats new grocery and convenience business.

“We are obviously excited now for the next chapter. We were at home on the couch with the puppies (two Maltese Shih tzu crosses and a Border Collie). It was very much just us. It was perfect for us. Everyone has their unique way of doing it.

“It was perfectly suited to us. That’s just me and who I am and who we are together.’’

While many tennis stars move to tax havens such as the Bahamas or Monaco, Barty’s rise to fame has only strengthened her desire to stay close to her family and she has recently moved into a new home in the Springfield area she finds so comfortable.

“I have lived in the Springfield area my entire life and mum and dad have lived there for their entire lives. My sisters are not far away. We are excited that we are in our new place. It’s beautiful.

“It is what we wanted and for us it is about making new memories now. The pups love our new place which for me it’s most important they run around and have a good time.’’

Long-term partner Garry Kissick proposed to Barty at home on the couch with their three dogs

Barty, who will be the focus of Australia’s sporting attention at next month’s Australian Open, spent part of her recent break coaching her five-year-old niece Lucy and her friends.

“Luce had just started to want to be involved in tennis. It was something I was never going to push her in to. It coincided with the launch of my junior racquet.

“Her and her school friends wanted to try it so we were out there on the synthetic courts. It was going back to my really, really old stomping ground. They absolutely loved it. And so did I. Just having that normality with my niece and nephew and teaching them a brand new sport.

“It was funny because it brought back memories of my first few lessons and being on court when it’s not about hitting the ball over the net. It’s the fun of going with your best mates.

“We had a picnic afterwards. It was just a lot of fun.’’

Originally published as Ash Barty reveals the secret post-match Wimbledon moment that will link the superstar with her idol for life