Reality of Ash Barty’s pre-tournament Wimbledon fitness concerns revealed

Winning Wimbledon has always been Ash Barty’s dream. But there was a moment she doubted it would ever happen. This is how she responded.

A fierce Ash Barty dominated her Wimbledon semi final. Picture: AFP

Ash Barty was “underdone” and teetering on the edge of not making it to the start line for Wimbledon.

The reality of how dire her fitness situation was has been revealed by Barty and her long-time coach Craig Tyzzer in the aftermath of her stunning semi-final victory over German Angelique Kerber.

As she now contemplates being Australia‘s first woman finalist at Wimbledon since her heroine Evonne Goolagong Cawley 41 years ago, the reality of how close she came to missing out on this historic opportunity hit home.

A hip injury which flared on the eve of last month‘s French Open forced her to withdraw in the second round.

“I think we had 23 or 24 days in between finishing up in Paris and my first round here,” Barty said.

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Ash Barty was all smiles after her win. Picture: AFP Photo

“To be honest, it was going to be touch-and-go. Everything had to be spot on to give myself a chance to play pain-free and to play knowing that I could trust my body.

“I’ve said time and time again, I’m extremely fortunate to have my team around me. They’re the best in the business. They’ve given me this opportunity to come out here and to play.

“If you told me a month ago we’d be sitting in this position, I really wouldn’t have thought that we would even get close. It’s pretty special what we’ve been able to do the last month.”

Tyzzer said Barty making it through to her first Wimbledon final, where she‘ll play Czech star Karolina Pliskova, without a lead-in grass tournament or significant practice was an “amazing achievement”.

“There were definitely doubts,” Tyzzer said. ”She came into the tournament a little bit underdone tennis-wise because I had to back off what I could do on the court with her just to make sure we were getting things right.

“I was more hopeful, not confident, about getting there.”

Barty, 25, started dreaming about playing in the final Saturday at the All-England club 10 years ago when she won the girls title.

But she conceded after a couple of bad losses at her favourite tournament there were doubts about whether she could conquer her grass court demons.

“I wasn‘t sure if it would ever happen, honestly,” she said. “You have to keep putting yourself in the position. Wimbledon for me has been an amazing place of learning.

“Ten years ago, I came here for the first time as a junior and learned a lot in that week (when she won the girls’ title).

“Probably 2018 (when she lost to Daria Kastkina), 2019 (beaten by Alison Riske) was some of my toughest weeks playing.

Barty after her junior Wimbledon title 10 years ago. Picture: AP Photo

“To come away with losses in those two tournaments, I learned a hell of a lot from those two times.

“A lot of the time your greatest growth comes from your darkest times. That’s why this tournament has been so important to me.”

While her physio Melanie Omizzolo and strength and conditioning coach Matt Hayes worked around-the-clock on her hip injury, her mindset coach back in Melbourne, Ben Crowe, has been on the phone daily,

The pair have worked together for a number of years with Crowe describing the tennis star as not only the most competitive sports person he‘s been associated with but also the perfect role model.

Barty’s ability to cut out external expectations and distractions, and then understand the simple love of why she plays the game is behind her ability to have been able to handle the unorthodox injury-interrupted preparation.

“We often forget the principles of enjoying, having fun and celebrating as we are so obsessed by results and winning outcome, so obsessed by what others think about us rather than what think about ourselves,” Crowe says.

“She has been able to bring back those principles, she still wants to win absolutely but she has a beautiful perspective that doesn‘t put additional external expectation on herself.

“It doesn‘t mean she’ll win, it just means she will bring the best version of her to the dance floor to enable the opportunity for that to take place.

“In my opinion that is why she is one of the greatest role models in Australia if not the tennis world, not just on the court but her perspective off the court is teaching the rest of the world how to be a great human being first and a great athlete second.”

Barty is on the brink of Wimbledon history. Picture: Getty Images

BARTY’S WIMBLEDON ASCENSION WRITTEN IN THE STARS

It’s been seemingly written in the stars from the moment Ash Barty unveiled her choice of dress for this year’s Wimbledon.

The tennis gods clearly approved of Barty’s decision to wear a special Fila scallop dress, similar to the one her hero Evonne Goolagong Cawley wore in 1971, to commemorate her championship victory.

It was a beautiful touch and clearly an inspiring move for the world No.1 who is now on the cusp of joining Goolagong on the champions board inside the All-England Club.

Ash Barty is one win away from the Wimbledon crown. Picture: AFP

Barty has grown in strength as the tournament has progressed and she had to be at her best to get past former champion Angelique Kerber in the semi-final.

It has been her destiny to get to the final two at Wimbledon since 10 years ago when she won the junior title.

The fuse was lit that day and while there have been many curveballs since – notably a brief retirement to play professional cricket – the fairytale script has finally fallen into place in 2021.

Barty likes to keep her cards close to her chest. She’s polite, friendly and generally an all-round good person but rarely does she let slip what is really happening inside.

Inside that super-intelligent tennis mind or inside that heart which contains a burning desire to make her fellow Indigenous Australians proud.

Ash Barty with her legendary mentor Evonne Goolagong Cawley.

Last year Barty admitted a secret in an interview with Paralympics legend Kurt Fearnley.

“My dream is to win Wimbledon, without a doubt,” she said. “It took a long time for me to say that out loud. It took a long time for me to have the courage to say that out loud.”

She will be able to scream it at the top of her lungs on Saturday night when the Queenslander gets the opportunity to tick that big career goal off.

A victory would further cement her standing as the best player in the women’s game. While others have fallen by the wayside for various reasons in recent times, notably Australian Open champion Naomi Osaka, the 25-year-old has kept her head down and worked hard.

After letting slip a golden opportunity in the quarter-finals at this year’s Australian Open, Barty hit the road for the first time in more than 12 months and put together an impressive clay court season.

But the flaring of an old hip injury during the French Open saw her retire hurt in the second round.

Barty celebrated her win over Angelique Kerber. Picture: Getty Images

She retreated into her own world, worked around the clock with her medical team and arrived at Wimbledon with a determination and purpose. The injury wasn’t going to be an excuse.

It hasn’t been sighted with Barty dropping just one set on her way to the semi-finals.

Every step of the way Goolagong Cawley has been there, in mind and spirit. The pair do chat regularly – she called to ask for permission to wear the dress – with Barty hanging off every word.

“I think I’m exceptionally proud to be able to call (Goolagong Cawley) a friend and a mentor,” she said in the lead-up to the tournament.

“To be able to share heritage. For me to be able to pay tribute to that on a really special anniversary is something that I’ll never forget”.

Two indigenous Australian women winning Wimbledon 50 years apart … that sounds like it’s written in the stars.