TRACEY AUSTIN: A first Wimbledon title is life-changing for Ash Barty

The way the pieces of the puzzle came together for Ash Barty, it could be a movie. 

She won the Wimbledon juniors 10 years ago and the tennis world took notice and said, this young lady has a complete game. She could be a real threat.

Ash felt more expectations and she took a two-year sabbatical for mental health so credit to her at that young age for taking time to figure it out. And when she got back she was that much more mature and able to handle everything that comes with being a top player.

And then 50 years on from Evonne Goolagong Cawley’s Wimbledon title Ash is wearing the scallops on the bottom of her skirt inspired by Evonne and she wins it too. 

It’s not just that Evonne is Australian, it goes deeper than that. Evonne has represented the indigenous community so well and has been such an inspiration to Ash.

They even have similar styles because they have all court games, very elegant, incredible athletes. And both very popular champions.

Barty has a similar style to former Australian champion Evonne Goolagong Cawley

It was an emotional final and a dramatic final. I think the quality was higher in the semi-finals but I think that’s due to the fact that it’s such a big moment and there’s two first-time Wimbledon finalists.

It started off with all sorts of nerves and tension from Karolina Pliskova, losing the first 14 points – I’m not sure I’ve seen a Wimbledon final that started like that.

It’s understandable. The Wimbledon final is a different feeling, there’s so much history, walking from the locker room down the long hall and the tension builds. Everyone as a little girl wants to win Wimbledon. The danger was she was going to lose a quick final, so credit to Pliskova for being able to get that second set.

For Ash, this is life-changing. She has the game to win on any surface. If she continues to stay hungry, with her all-court game I think she’s a real threat to win many more.