Ash Barty: From Steffi to Serena, priceless and painful lessons from iconic world No.1s

Signed: Ash Barty, aged 14, West Warm Springs Road, Las Vegas.

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My head was spinning, my chest was heaving and I was dripping with sweat, but I still felt like I had one more big push left in me.

Gil Reyes, the legendary fitness coach and friend of Andre Agassi, had just called time on a gym session to close out the adventure of a lifetime in Las Vegas.

I’d been fortunate enough to spend five days with Steffi Graf and Andre, two icons of the sport, and trained with Darren Cahill, the great Aussie coach, in the desert.

And I was not ready for it to be over.

Even as a young girl, I was fascinated by the strength needed to succeed in tennis and the chance to spend time with people as well-regarded as Reyes, Steffi and Andre felt too good to be true.

There was a repetition of an exercise I’d be working on that I was keen to master. And I asked if I could have another crack at it.

“One more?” Reyes asked me.

I nodded.

With that, he led me to the back corner of his gym where there is a wall standing next to a cabinet filled with some of Andre’s trophies.

What a collection. Four Australian Open titles. A Wimbledon crown. A couple of US Opens. One from Roland Garros, too. And an Olympic gold medal claimed in Atlanta.

He was a remarkable player.

Reyes’ handed me a pen and told me to put the pledge into writing.

“One more.” I signed my name.

It is something every tennis player wants. We want to win the next point. The next game. The set. The match. The tournament.

“One more” is another step towards being the best we can be.

I have a good reason for sharing this story at the end of a season I will never forget.

I’m still pinching myself at fulfilling a childhood dream by winning Wimbledon and I’m delighted by how happy it made so many people who have supported me along the way.

The challenge of extending my stint as world No.1 beyond 100 weeks also proved really motivating.

This allowed me to join Steffi, Chris Evert, Martina Navratilova and Serena Williams as women who have finished a season at No.1 for three years in succession.

When I look at these legends, and see their impact on tennis, I’m not sure I necessarily belong in their company. I’ve been lucky enough to spend time with all of them and thought I would share a story about each.

I feel their journeys are intertwined with my own, as I’ve either watched or admired them for so long, from the time I was just starting out in tennis as a little girl from Springfield.

Steffi

Landing in Las Vegas as a 14-year-old, with my then-coach Simon Rae and fitness trainer Grant Jenkins, was an eye-opening experience.

I’ve never been a big one for turbulence but I remember that flight from Los Angeles to Vegas was a particularly bumpy one.

My stomach scarcely had time to settle before the first shock.

Poker machines in the airport. People enjoying a beer for breakfast. That initial drive down the fabled casino strip. I remember thinking, ‘What planet is this?’

The reason for my trip – an invitation to spend time with Steffi and Andre – was to me a tennis version of visiting Disneyland.

The chance to meet with two of the greatest players ever, people who have done so much beyond tennis as well, felt like a fairytale.

The first thing that struck me was just how relaxed Steffi made me feel. She had a way about her that made me feel so comfortable and we were able to chat like normal people do.

I was probably a little bit naive at the time as to just how incredible a player she was.

To win 22 Grand Slams, including a Golden Grand Slam in 1988, and hold the world No.1 ranking for 377 weeks is incredible.

And yet here she was, happy to share her time and her wisdom with a young girl still dreaming about what might lie ahead in life. It was a magical experience.

This trip, really, was my first experience of what life as a professional tennis player would be like. And it was eye-opening.

Darren had arranged for me to practice with Sorana Cirstea, a Romanian professional who had been ranked just outside the top 20 a year earlier.

Her weight of shot, and the intensity with which she practised, made me realise how much more I needed to improve to be able to compete with the leading women in the world.

Just like the gym session with Gil Reyes, and the conversations with Steffi and Andre, I was able to absorb their lessons and put what I had been taught into practice.

I left with an intent and burning desire to work harder than ever to get to the professional level.

Less than a year later, I was able to win the junior girls singles at Wimbledon.

Chris

When I was invited to sit down with Chris Evert for a special series of interviews she was hosting with women who had been ranked No.1, I initially felt reluctant.

Why me? Even though it had been more than a year, I was still not sure I belonged among players so decorated. But I am happy I did, for so many reasons.

Because Chris played in an era featuring Evonne Goolagong Cawley, I had watched many highlights featuring Chris and she is someone I was intrigued by.

We had met a few times already. It might be an interview after a match, for example.

After winning at Roland Garros in 2019, I had the pleasure of receiving the champions’ trophy from Chris.

I like that the No.1 trophy, which I first collected in Eastbourne in June, 2019, is named in honour of the great American who won 18 Grand Slam titles.

Every new world No.1 receives a small diamond inserted into the ball on top of the original trophy in a specific place.

It is a rare privilege, as only 27 women have held the top spot.

The replica sent to each world No. 1 has only ‘your diamond’ in its unique position. I love that it is very much your own unique trophy.

What I most enjoyed about the interview series was that I really got a sense of what Chris was like as a person, but also how she must have been on court.

There is this fire in the belly. It may not always be evident in someone’s personality, but if you go to a practice session, or watch them on court, you know. It is a common denominator.

From watching highlights of Evonne playing, she always carried herself with such grace. For mine, that is what Chris is like off the court, always so graceful.

I would say she was a ruthless competitor on the court but that is the beauty of it, that we can be so different from one aspect of our life on the court to what we are like beyond it.

Martina

“Welcome to the club.”

For all the emotion and activity in the hour after achieving my childhood dream at Wimbledon in July, when Martina Navratilova said that to me, the enormity of it began to sink in.

The moments after I defeated Karolina Pliskova in the final are a blur. There are really only a couple of things I can remember in the immediate aftermath on centre court.

Being able to celebrate with my team, to hug them all in the stands, for the sacrifices they have made in our journey is something that will stick in my mind forever.

It was not until I left the court and was walking through the All England Club that things started to become clearer for me.

Among the first people to congratulate me were the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

I remember hoping that I would not say anything that would get me in strife, or breach a royal convention I was not aware of! But Kate is the Patron of Wimbledon and really loves her tennis. It was an easy, fun, personable conversation.

Further down the corridor Billie Jean King and Martina were waiting for me, which was so incredibly special.

Billie Jean has been a mover and shaker in our sport for so long and is an icon. With Martina, I have known her for a lot longer, because she is often at tournaments and I can really relate to her.

She is such a passionate woman. It is mind-blowing to know that she made the Wimbledon final 12 times and won nine titles there.

Martina still plays all the legends doubles events and we often have general chats about how my game is going, or about what is happening in tennis.

It was as I was moving on that she called out to say, ‘Welcome to the club’. And I thought, ‘Oh my God. I am now a member of the All England Lawn Tennis Club’. For normal fans, that means Wimbledon. It was such a special moment.

After that, I was presented to the crowd standing below the members club, which was surreal. I still can’t believe all those people were there for me.

And then, finally, I saw my team in the corridor. I suddenly felt so overwhelmed. There were so many hugs. That time felt so brilliant to me. It really is still like a dream.

Serena

I have never felt so intimidated in my life on a tennis court as when I played Serena Williams, a winner of 23 Grand Slam titles, for the first time.

Standing opposite Serena on Rod Laver Arena, awaiting for the coin toss for our opening round match of the 2014 Australian Open, I felt beaten before the match had started.

Here was this incredible, athletic woman at the peak of her powers, swinging her right arm in a service motion to warm up her shoulders, staring straight at me from just metres away.

I was 17, and it was my second Open at home, but I remember feeling dwarfed by her.

I remember vividly she was wearing her ponytail up that year, which somehow seemed to amplify the power of her presence.

From the moment my name was drawn to play her the Friday before, I knew my Australian Open was over.

It is rare that I have felt that way. To go into a match with the aim of lasting one hour, instead of trying to win it, is far from the ideal approach.

I remember looking at the clock when it was match point and noting I’d fall short of that aim. 56 minutes. It felt like a punch in the face. Walking off, I was so deflated.

As a 17-year-old playing the world No.1, you are probably not expected to win. But I gave myself zero chance and it showed. I just wish I had given myself more of a shot.

But looking back at it now, I would not change it for the world. What an experience.

I actually learned so much from it, because it taught me that I needed to fight, no matter the opponent or the circumstance of the match. You realise you need to be brave.

I’d certainly love to have the chance to play Serena again and to test myself against her.

The summit

Holding the No.1 ranking again to finish 2021 is something I am incredibly proud of after such a challenging and unusual season.

To have spent so much time on the road, to have asked the people I love and admire to support me and make sacrifices, and for us to prevail is an achievement to celebrate.

When I look back at the season, there were four phases critical to holding on to the top ranking.

When we arrived in Miami in late March, I felt people were questioning whether I was the rightful No.1 given Naomi Osaka had won a couple of Grand Slams in succession.

It was probably the first time I felt a little rattled and I really wanted to make a statement on the court.

Getting through that tournament – and playing so well at the end of it to defend my crown from 2019 – felt like a pivotal moment, particularly after overcoming a match point in my first round match against qualifier Kristina Kucova.

It was then that I realised I truly wanted to be the No.1. It was not about the accolades. It was the realisation of my determination, the competitive drive that was burning.

I thought, ‘You know what? Someone is going to have to be really, really good to take this off me.’

Moving towards the French Open, I felt in a really good position but it all went out of my mind when, a couple of days before the tournament, I injured my hip.

It was shattering. But I just wanted to do everything I could to try to be ready for Wimbledon. Somehow we pulled it off. And after winning Wimbledon, I did a quick reassessment and made finishing No.1 the ultimate goal for the rest of the year.

I had a rough period after the Olympics because I was just so exhausted. We tried to refresh down in Tampa but I remember really struggling when I arrived in Cincinnati.

Jo Konta thrashed me in practice. I was distracted and tired. I remember being a little teary in a conversation on the couch in the hotel lobby with Tyzz (my coach Craig Tyzzer) but it was an honest, good conversation.

He asked me what I wanted from the rest of the year. And that was to be No.1. It was something our team deserved given the work we had done.

Somehow we made it through Cincinnati and managed to win there. I felt then we had probably done enough. But I was so spent. Cincinnati took so much out of me. I really had nothing left by the time we got to New York for the US Open.

It was while we were in hotel quarantine back at home that we got the confirmation I was almost certain to finish the year at No.1. Quarantine was not particularly easy but knowing we had the No.1 ranking effectively sewn up was truly a highlight worth ordering a couple of beers in for.

For me, the pain starts again now. I’ve had a good break and feel refreshed.

On Monday, I enter what we call the hurt locker. The pre-season is never easy and I am going to hate the next few weeks. But, at the same time, I also love it as it ignites my competitive instinct. I want to get better and better.

I know that I will be feeling on top of the world at the end of it and raring to go for the Australian summer. Bring it on.

Yeah the girls

I was so proud to watch Australia’s Billie Jean King Cup team, captained brilliantly again by Alicia Molik, make it through to the semi-finals.

To see Storm Sanders, who was my roommate when I first lived in Melbourne and is someone who proved a rock for me through this year, doing so well is really tremendous.

She was the spiritual leader of that team and will be for a long time.

Ajla Tomljanovic showed she can be a great leader, it was good to see Dasha back on court, and Ellen Perez and Olivia Gadecki are worthy Australian representatives.

To see Olivia wearing the gold tracksuit means so much to me. She is someone I can really relate to and I think she has a really bright future ahead of her.

I was shattered I could not get there this year to be there with them. It was a similar situation with the WTA Finals.

Given the current quarantine situation for returning to Queensland, and the circumstances of the season, it made it too difficult to do this time around.

But I had full faith in them. They delivered.