Social media goes wild over Ash Barty’s beer in hand celebration

Aussie world number one Ash Barty sent social media into a spin when cameras captured her celebrating the AFL action with a beer in hand.

Ash Barty is an Aussie icon

The world’s best tennis players may be battling it out on the clay courts in Paris, but Aussie world number one Ash Barty is living her best life.

Barty who withdrew from the French Open, citing border closures and concerns about COVID-19, decided to make the most of her time off.

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A diehard Tigers fan, Barty sat in the stands at the Gabba soaking in the electric contest between Richmond and Brisbane in the second qualifying final.

Fox cameras picked up the Aussie champ in the fourth quarter, but it was a moment of pure passion that saw social media light up.

As the Lions held a 21-point lead a little under halfway through the final term, a goal from Tigers livewire Daniel Rioli got Barty up and out of her seat.

Rioli slotted the first goal of the quarter to bring the margin back to 15 points, but it was Barty’s emphatic celebration with a beer in hand that overshadowed his moment.

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World No.1 Ash Barty + a beer + finals footy 👍
🎥 - @7AFL pic.twitter.com/mSX25PYNaA

— Herald Sun Sport (@heraldsunsport) October 2, 2020

The Tigers closed the margin to within eight after a Jack Riewoldt goal, but the Lions bounced back and secured the 10.9 (69) to 8.6 (54) victory.

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Despite watching her beloved team go down, while being surrounded by Lions fans, it was Barty who stole the show as she quickly began trending on Twitter.

“The Ash Barty fist pump with beer in hand is bloody everything. What a legend,” AFL media’s Lee Gaskin wrote.

“Ash Barty in the outer at the footy.. how bloody good,” Channel 10’s Caty Price wrote.

“Imagine if you’d been told in January that Ash Barty would watch an AFL final in person while the French Open – of which she is defending champion – was going on simultaneously,” The Age’s Daniel Cherny wrote.

“Ash Barty at the footy having a beer. Magnificent!” Stephen Quartermain wrote.

“Barty giving it the “Up the Tigers!” fist pump with a pot of draught in the other hand is the hope we all need in 2020,” Channel 7’s Andrew McCormack wrote.

“So here for Ash Barty drinking a froth in the stands cheering her team with no social distancing while players take the court at the last grand slam she won. If that’s normality, bring it on,” Herald Sun’s Lauren Wood wrote.

“Can you love this woman any more?!” ABC’s Michael Rowland wrote.

Ash Barty our true queen 👸🏻 🍺

— Jacqueline Felgate (@Jacquifelgate) October 2, 2020

.@ashbarty skipping the French Open and instead fist pumping her team with beer in hand is possibly my favourite thing about 2020 so far.

— Roger Oldridge (@roger_oldridge) October 2, 2020

The win for the Lions launches them into a preliminary final for the first time since 2004, where they’ll face either Geelong, West Coast or Collingwood.

Richmond will face the winner of St Kilda and the Western Bulldogs next weekend in a semi-final with the winner advancing into a preliminary final against Port Adelaide.