By Scott Spits
One of Australia’s best-known athletes, retired tennis star Ash Barty, has married her long-time partner, Garry Kissick.
The pair married in a Queensland ceremony far removed from the glare of public attention, with the former world No.1 revealing the news on social media on Saturday night.
It was a private affair held with family and close friends at a secret location after Barty returned from Britain, where she attended the British Open golf major – won by fellow Queenslander Cameron Smith.
In a simple post featuring a photo of the smiling couple, Barty, 26, announced the nuptials with the words: Husband & Wife.
Barty, last year’s Wimbledon ladies’ singles champion and an Australian Open champion this year, shocked the sporting world in March when she announced her snap retirement.
The pair were engaged last November when Barty was in the closing stages of preparing for another shot at ending the country’s long drought – more than 40 years – to produce an Australian Open singles champion.
Barty’s victory in January, achieved in dominant style, was the first since Chris O’Neil in December 1977.
Barty and Kissick went public with their relationship in 2017, attending the John Newcombe Awards together, where Barty won the first of her four Newcombe medals, an award that recognises the nation’s most outstanding player of the year.
Her retirement in March came when Barty was at the top of her game, holding down the world’s top ranking, and had after winning three of the sport’s majors - Wimbledon and the Australian and French Opens. The emotion was clear when she uttered the words that she was stepping away from the game.
Barty wrestled with her decision for months; it was only finalised when the announcement plans were put in place - two months after her famous drought-breaking triumph at Melbourne Park. But the Queenslander didn’t completely shut the door on a return to professional tennis.
Reminded at the time that other top athletes had retired too early – with others staging successful comebacks after pulling the pin – an honest Barty said: “I’d say you never say never. I’d say the door is closed, but it’s not padlocked.
“I’m never one to absolutely say never, never, never. But, yeah, it feels like it’s closed.
“I feel like I’ve given absolutely everything to the sport and there is nothing more for me to give. But I know that tennis will always be a massive part of my life and I’ll be able to contribute in different ways, which is maybe why that connection with tennis will always be there.”
When Barty revealed her retirement decision in an Instagram interview conducted by close friend and former doubles partner Casey Dellacqua, she said she would “chase other dreams”.
“There is no hiding behind anything for me,” Barty said at the time.
“This is just a decision I’ve made and now, like every other person in the world, I look for what’s next. And that’s going to be a really exciting chapter.”
Barty won the season-ending WTA Finals event in 2019, collecting a $US4.42 million ($6.4 million) prize packet – the biggest individual cheque in tennis history.
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