Wimbledon 2019: Ash Barty holds onto number one ranking after Karolina Pliskova bows out

She may be returning home without the Wimbledon trophy, but Ashleigh Barty will still have the world No. 1 ranking when she lobs in Ipswich this week for a well-deserved break.

Not her day at Wimbledon, but Ash Barty retains her number one ranking.

Assured of retaining the world No. 1 ranking, Ashleigh Barty will celebrate a phenomenal European campaign with a few beers and a brief break after abandoning Wimbledon doubles.

Barty withdrew from a third-round doubles match with Victoria Azarenka, citing right arm soreness.

The French Open champion’s fourth-round singles failure against Alison Riske opened the door for Karolina Pliskova to usurp the Australian as No. 1 next week.

Ash Barty lost the match to Alison Riske but retains her place at world number one — for now. Picture: AP Photo/Ben Curtis

But Pliskova’s 4-6 7-5 13-11 defeat in an all-Czech cliffhanger to Karolina Muchova means Barty will remain at the top for a few more weeks at least.

Of the remaining survivors in the women’s singles draw, none is close enough to catch Barty’s 6405 rankings points tally even with title success.

Barty will emerge from Wimbledon with a slender 118-point lead over Australian and US Open champion Naomi Osaka (6377).

Pliskova, who could have taken over at No. 1 with a semi-final appearance here, is next on 6055.

Dutchwoman Kiki Bertens is fourth with 5430 points.

Czech Republic's Karolina Pliskova missed her chance to usurp Ash Barty at the top of the world rankings. Picture: Adrian Dennis/AFP

Barty will now head home to Ipswich for a deserved break.

With only one loss in her past 16 matches, a maiden grand slam and a second WTA Premier victory, Barty remains the most successful woman on tour.

She was typically upbeat after coming to terms with the Riske defeat.

“Rest and recover,” she said when asked of her plans.

“I think it’s also important to really celebrate what we’ve been able to achieve over the last eight weeks.

“It’s been an extremely positive time for me and my team.

“Go and rest and recover with the family back home, then switch focus back to the hard courts.

“I didn’t win a tennis match. It’s not the end of the world.”
Ash Barty.
🙌🏼

— Adam Peacock (@adampeacock3) July 8, 2019

What an amazing few weeks for Ash Barty. She has been an absolute pleasure to watch. I am sure she will be disappointed to not progress, but man oh man, she is here to stay & play some serious tennis 🎾 #Wimbledon

— Lisa Sthalekar (@sthalekar93) July 8, 2019

“In the US, which I love that time of year, I love getting back over to the summertime there. I have some really good memories from last year.

“We go back, we knuckle down, train again, then we go again.”

Barty last season used tournaments in Montreal and Cincinnati as preparation for a fourth-round finish at the US Open.

The right-hander almost certainly will follow a similar schedule this season, travelling to Toronto and Cincinnati before arriving in New York for the August 26-September 9 Open.

Barty’s Wimbledon singles departure leaves only 23-time major winner Serena Williams and 2018 French Open champion Simona Halep as the only two players of the remaining eight women to win a slam.

Riske, Barbora Strycova, Johanna Konta, Elina Svitolina, Karolina Muchova and Zhang Shuai are the others.