The Barty effect boosting Aussie sport

She was stiffed for prize money, but at least Ash Barty got a nice trophy in Cincinnati

The Paralympics will begin in the afterglow of the Olympics. The Olympics benefited enormously from the afterglow of Ash Barty’s Wimbledon triumph. Her wonder match at the All England Club was an underrated contributor to Australia’s ravenous sporting appetite from the opening whistle of the Tokyo Games.

What a purple patch for athletes with AUS next to their names. Barty got the ball rolling. There wasn’t a lot happening before she had her win in Old London Town. She made her childhood dream come true, she made a disarmingly sweet speech, she reminded us that good sport was very good indeed. It really could put a spring in one’s step – even if one was only allowed to step from the couch to the kitchen.

Barty’s win was so warm and fuzzy. It whet the appetite of viewers. More of that, please. And it whet the appetite of Olympic athletes. Patty Mills said as much before arriving in Tokyo. “This is special,” the soon-to-be medallist said of Barty’s win. “This is goosebumps-type stuff. Ash Barty, just incredible. She’s an amazing inspiration.”

Now all of Australian sport seems to be having a blinder. One glorious moment after another. The final Saturday of the AFL’s regular season was a humdinger. The NRL is nicely on the boil. It’ll be on for young and old once the riff raff at the bottom of the top eight are eliminated.

Overseas, which is the best place to be right now, Cam Smith is tied for the lead at The Northern Trust tournament on the USPGA Tour. He will get his chance to wrap it up on Tuesday morning at Liberty National, assuming Tropical Storm Henri doesn’t tear the joint apart.

Smith is in the hunt for a $21 million winner’s cheque. It’s an obscene amount when you think of the millions of people who can’t work or earn a quid or pay the rent during the pandemic. But half his luck.

He missed a putt for a 59 on Sunday, but there’s a bright side to missing a putt for a 59. You get a 60. Smith could fall off a cliff in the final round and still line his pockets. Anyone in the top 30 at Liberty will make at least a hundred grand.

Barty earned a bit of beer money by comparison, just $357,000, for her impeccable 6-3, 6-1 win over Swiss wildcard Jil Teichmann in the final of the Western and Southern Open on Monday.

She confirmed her favouritism for next week’s US Open by winning her fifth WTA title of an incredible year – but she was stiffed on the prizemoney. The Wimbledon champion would be the last person to quibble about money, having a few quid in the bank already, but the prizemoney lists released by the Cincinnati tournament made for surprising reading.

Barty earned $357,000 for her triumph. Not bad for a few days of work, of course – but nearly a third less than the $918,000 taken home by the men’s champion, Alexander Zverev. The beaten men’s semi-finalists received bigger pay days than Barty. The men’s prizemoney increased by 129 per cent from the previous year. The women’s purse went down by 9 per cent.

Barty is getting better and better. She played like a boss at Cincinnati. Her court craft again made a tennis court look like a ping pong table. The angles and spin at her disposal were unplayable. She might be the most popular world number one that women’s tennis has ever seen. Even her opponents talk her up after being annihilated. Teichmann told Barty at the presentation ceremony: “You are an exceptional number one. You are great on the court, and off the court. Keep it going.”

Barty saluted the run to the final of the World No.76. She had the Cincinnati crowd swooning during her post-match speech. “Jill, what a week, mate,” Barty said. “This is your level. This is where you belong. It was certainly nice to share a court with you today.

“Last but absolutely not least, the crowd. Guys, it was so nice to play out in front of you again. I’ve seen so many smiling kids enjoying tennis – you genuinely reminded me of how much I love this sport. Thank you so much for coming out and making it such a joy for us players. Thank you.”

Yet again Barty was just so good to watch. Well worth the 4am wake-up call. I used to wonder who would keep tennis interesting when Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal faded away.

Little did I know it would be Barty. For a tennis fan, she’s someone you cannot stop watching. Like Andrew Johns used to be for league fans. Like Dusty Martin has been for AFL fans. Like Tiger Woods for golf fans. There was a nastiness in women’s tennis when Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova were on top. Those days are over. The Barty era is a respectful and joyful one.

“We’ve been on the road for nearly six months and it’s been a joy every single day,” Barty told her entourage. “Thank you so much, you guys, for hanging in there with me. It’s been awesome. You’ve kept me in one piece and we’ve certainly enjoyed every single minute. Thank you very much, guys. I appreciate it.”

Barty won Wimbledon. Seventeen more wins were witnessed in Tokyo. Now Australia’s in the hunt for no less than 100 medals at the Paralympics.

The purple patch will continue, but it didn’t start at the Olympics. Australian sport has been on fire since the ladies’ singles final at Wimbledon. We’re not riding the Olympic effect. I think the Barty effect came first.