On all surfaces, Barty has joined the GOATS

Ash Barty turned her life around by trusting her gut. Now she’s one of only five current players to win a major on all three surfaces.

Australia's Ashleigh Barty poses with the 2022 Australian Open winner's trophy Picture: AFP

That was a win for the ages. For all ages. One of the great Australian sporting moments. Take Phar Lap’s Melbourne Cup victory in 1930, Bradman’s 270 at the MCG in 1937, the America’s Cup win in 1983, Shane Warne’s Ball of the Century in 1993, Cathy Freeman’s and Ian Thorpe’s Olympic gold medals in 2000, John Aloisi’s penalty for the Socceroos in 2005 and Adam Scott’s US Masters victory in 2013 … and add Ash Barty’s 2022 Australian Open title to the nation’s honour roll of unforgettable triumphs.

“I honestly just thought how lucky I am that I have so many people who love me,” Barty said after Freeman and Thorpe joined her mother, father, sisters, coach, trainers, agent, best mates, closes mates, casual acquaintances and complete strangers who wanted to give her a hug in the corridor of Rod Laver Arena on Saturday night. It felt like Australia itself was wrapping its big arms around her. “So grateful and thankful,” she said.

Barty was too composed for Danielle Collins in the 6-3, 7-6 (7-2) win. Too skilful. Too fearless. Too preordained. Too bloody good. A teenager driven out of the sport because life was making her miserable has ended up sprinkling magic dust across the land. The turnaround from 1-5 in the second set was nothing compared to the personal comeback she’s pulled off from “rock bottom.” Her mantra in the most successful stage of her career and life: “Be patient. Have fun. And trust your gut, every day of the week.”

Ash Barty with the Australian Open trophy is congratulated by Evonne Goolagong Cawley and Cathy Freeman after winning the women's singles final at Melbourne Park Picture: Scott Barbour/Tennis Australia

Now what? Barty has won three of the four majors. A career grand slam is there for the 25-year-old’s taking. If she’s too good for ‘em now, what’s she going to be like when she peaks at about 28? The US Open trophy is the only major silverware not on her Brisbane mantelpiece. You’d reckon she’d win it blindfolded. New York’s blue hardcourts are a mirror image of Melbourne’s. But her coach, Craig Tyzzer, saw it differently.

“The US Open really needs to change the ball for the girls,” he said. “The fact they still use a different ball for guys and girls, it‘s a terrible ball for someone like Ash.

“The ball itself is so light. It was the only tournament last year, and really for two years – Ash uses gut strings but I had to change her to a poly just to get any sort of control of the ball. If they keep that ball the same, no one like Ash will win that tournament.”

Ash Barty and Dylan Alcott Picture: @DylanAlcott/Twitter

Men use fuzzier, heavier balls at the US Open. The women’s are sleeker, pinging around like they’re made of rubber. The manufacturer is Wilson, whose spokesman Jason Collins says: “There is a slightly tighter weave. Because the felt stays tighter, it flies through the air quicker. It doesn’t stay on the racquet strings as long. It gives the impression that it’s a lighter ball.”

Barty likes to feel the ball on her strings for as long as possible. A livelier ball affects her greatest asset. Her control. Which may help explain why she’s won the Australian Open, French Open and Wimbledon but never been past the fourth round at the US Open, where she was knocked out by America’s world No. 43 Shelby Rogers in a blaze of unforced errors last year.

Tyzzer said the players who ended up in the final at Flushing Meadows, the unheralded duo of Great Britain’s Emma Raducanu and Canadian Leylah Fernandez, proved the US Open was out of whack.

“You see the result at the US Open, it was two players who, you go, ‘Wow, that was – two different players won that?’” she said. “There’s no surprise when the ball is like it is. I don’t know the reason why it’s the only tournament that has separate ball for the guys and girls. If they don’t change the balls, she (Barty) won’t win the US Open.”

Ash poses with the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup on Sunday Picture: Getty Images

Barty emerged from her “hermit” lifestyle in Melbourne, where she basically went nowhere other than her room and the courts to avoid getting Covid, to become one of the few players to win majors on all three surfaces. Of the current generation, only Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams have done it. The four GOATs and Barty. A career grand slam would lift her to even more rarefied air.

“To be honest, I don‘t really feel like I belong with those champions of our sport,” she said. “There’s still work to be done, without a doubt. I’m still very much learning and trying to refine my craft and trying to learn every single day to get better and better. It’s amazing to be able to have this experience and this opportunity on three different surfaces, and to be really consistent across the board. Ultimately, that was one of the biggest challenges that (childhood coach) Jim (Joyce) set out for me when I was young. To be a complete player able to play on all surfaces. So to have a grand slam title on each surface is pretty amazing. I never probably thought it would ever happen to me. Very, very lucky and very humbled and very privileged to be a part of it.”

The win for the ages, and for all ages, had youngsters jumping up and down and squealing and clapping like school had knocked off early. It had old women sharing a hug and a bit of a cry. In the countdown to kick-off, there was a pre-match chat between Barty and her best mate, Casey Dellacqua, who recalled, ‘I just said to her, ‘I’ll see ya after, mate.’ And that was it. Quick hug.”

They caught up about five seconds after match point. Barty told Dellacqua to get out of her courtside commentary position and join her on the court. Quick hug. Full circle. It was Dellacqua who helped convince Barty to return to tennis during a heart-to-heart at a barbecue in Sydney in 2016. The story goes that they had a hit and Barty thought, I might still be all right at this. She told Dellacqua back then about her unfinished business as a tennis player. She was right about going all right. The unfinished business isn’t finished yet.