Tag: Ash Barty

Wimbledon Welcomes Back Springfield Tennis Legend Ash Barty

Former world No. 1 and Springfield-raised Ash Barty is set to make a highly anticipated return to Wimbledon this July, nearly two years after her shock retirement from professional tennis. The 28-year-old Australian tennis legend will participate in the invitational doubles event, marking her first appearance on the hallowed grass courts since her triumphant singles victory in 2021.

Read: Springfield Lakes Mum Raises Over $4500 in Fundraising Concert for Cancer Research

Invitational Doubles comeback

Wimbledon officials recently announced Barty’s participation in the legends invitational doubles event, scheduled to begin on July 9.

Barty will team up with her former doubles partner and close friend, Casey Dellacqua. The pair, affectionately known as “ABCD” (Ash Barty and Casey Dellacqua), have a history of success, including reaching three grand slam finals together.

The legends tournament will feature two groups of eight pairs competing in a round-robin format. The top pairs from each group will advance to the final, vying for a share of the ~$64,800 first-place prize. All participating pairs are guaranteed a minimum of ~$45,800 between them.

Ash Barty, legend of tennis

Ash Barty’s 2021 Wimbledon victory ended a 41-year drought for Australian women at the tournament, following in the footsteps of her mentor and idol, Evonne Goolagong Cawley, who won in 1980.

The Woodcrest State College alum also claimed grand slam titles at the 2019 French Open and the 2022 Australian Open before her surprise retirement announcement in March 2022.

Since stepping away from professional tennis, Barty has embraced family life. She married her partner Garry Kissick and welcomed their son, Hayden. Despite occasional calls for her return to the professional circuit, Barty has consistently expressed contentment with her current priorities. “I absolutely love being a mum. There’s nothing else that I prefer to do,” she said.

Dual role at Wimbledon

In addition to her participation in the invitationals, Barty will also serve as a commentator during the Wimbledon tournament.

This dual role allows her to remain connected to the sport while maintaining her retirement from professional play.

Read: Scott’s Farm in Ripley: A Century-Old Legacy Hangs in the Balance Amidst School Development Plans

The Wimbledon tournament, including the legends invitational event, is set to begin on Monday, July 1, offering fans a chance to see their hometown hero back in action on one of tennis’s most prestigious stages.

Published 22-June-2024

Golf Next? Ash Barty Clinches Golf Title at Brookwater

Ash Barty shocked the world of tennis when she retired at the top of her game so she could go after ‘other dreams.’ These days, she can be seen swinging a golf club in winning form at Brookwater Golf and Country Club, where she recently proved her championship streak isn’t over just yet. 

Read: Ipswich In Talks with Ash Barty for Statue Honouring World No.1

On Saturday, 2 April 2022, Ash won the ladies’ competition against five women at the Brookwater Golf and Country Club. The 25-year-old bagged $30 for her win, a far cry from her over $30-million winning in tennis.

Nonetheless, there have been speculations were that the World No. 1 could be coming out of retirement to play golf professionally. It won’t be a surprise to her fans, however, as Ash is quite a talented golfer and played with Tiger Woods before. 

Woods even said that Ash has “got a great swing.” Two-time Queensland amateur champion Louis Dobbelaar also believes that Ash has all she needs to pursue golf as she’s natural at it. 

Ash has been a member of the Brookwater Golf and Country Club for a few years and she also won the club championship in 2020. Members adore her down-to-earth nature. 

The tennis superstar is currently building her new home at Brookwater Residential as it suits the quiet lifestyle she craves for. The golf course is a stone’s throw away from the residential community.  

Read: Ash Barty to Build ‘Forever’ Home at Brookwater Residential

Aside from tennis and golf, Ash is also a great cricket player and had a full-time contract with Brisbane Heat in 2015 during her brief break from tennis in 2014. One of her former Heat coaches said that she’s very team-oriented and showed outstanding batting skills from the get-go. Her father is a major cricket fan and she sat many hours with him watching the games on TV as a child. 

Despite the speculations, Ash has been mum about her next plans post-retirement from tennis. The world will just have to wait and see her next move.

Ipswich In Talks with Ash Barty for Statue Honouring World No.1

Tennis superstar Ash Barty will be honoured with her very own statue in Ipswich after her victorious performance to end a 44-year drought and win the Australian Open.

Read: Ipswich’s Ash Barty Named 2020 Young Australian Of The Year

Ipswich Mayor Teresa Harding confirmed in a press conference that they have been in discussions with Ms Barty’s team about creating a statue for the World No. 1. 

Ms Harding said that Ipswich City Council is planning to put in an application for an Ash Barty statue after the Queensland Government established the Framework for Considering Proposals to Establish Memorials and Monuments of Significance. 

“People are very keen to do a statue…so we’ll certainly put in a great application for that,” the mayor said. “Again, we’ll work with Ash’s team to make sure that it’s respectful and it’s something that’s really great.”

Ms Harding said that the community will also be involved in planning the statue.  On her Facebook page, hundreds of Ipswich locals have shared their ideas on how best to honour Ms Barty.

Following her epic win, Ipswich installed five electronic billboards to honour their homegrown talent. Ms Harding said that Barty’s success is an inspiration to the community and described the tennis champ as “down-to-earth and hardworking.” 

“She is quintessentially Ipswich; down-to-earth, focused, works hard and she has achieved her dream.”

Ms Harding also said they are considering renaming a road after Ms Barty, depending on how the talks with her team work out.

In 2017, Ipswich gave Ms Ash Barty the key to the city for her outstanding contribution to tennis, besting Grand Slam singles results in the 2017 Australian Open and the 2017 US Open. This was also the year Ms Barty climbed the WTA Top 100 world rankings to end at 17. Tennis centres across Ipswich have also been named after her.

Ms Barty’s accomplishment also brings pride to the First Nations people. The 25-year-old is a proud Ngarigo woman.

Last year, two petitions were opened for an Ash Barty bride and an Ash Barty statue in Springfield Central in Ipswich, where she grew up. 

Read: Two Petitions Lodged for an Ashleigh Barty Bridge or Statue in Springfield Central

“Ultimately, whatever Council and the community come up with, we will need to see what Ash feels comfortable,” Ms Harding said. 

Two Petitions Lodged for an Ashleigh Barty Bridge or Statue in Springfield Central

Locals in Ipswich are mobilising a petition to rename a bridge in Springfield Central after Australia’s first Wimbledon women’s singles champion in 41 years, Ashleigh Barty. A second petition is also pushing for the first female statue in Brisbane featuring the tennis star.

Read: First Dedicated Children’s Library in Australia Opens in Ipswich

Spearheaded by Ipswich resident Karin Weston, the petition on Charge.Org has gotten nearly 7,000 signatures and it’s still gaining the numbers. The petition is asking Ipswich City Council to change the Paul Pisasale Bridge to Ashleigh Barty Bridge, citing that it’s “well overdue.”

Weston said that she gets frustrated whenever she crosses the Paul Pisasale Bridge, named after the disgraced mayor who was sacked in 2018 and convicted in 2020 following a Queensland Crime and Corruption Commission investigation. 

Highlights

  • A petition to rename the Paul Pisasale Bridge to Ashleigh Barty Bridge in Springfield Central is gaining momentum after her Wimbledon win.
  • Ipswich Mayor Teresa Harding said that Barty deserves the highest honour that should top the Paul Pisasale Bridge.
  • Another petition has launched the campaign for the first female statue in Brisbane featuring Barty.

“An Indigenous woman, a sporting legend, a woman of character who is proud to call this community her hometown,” Weston wrote. “We are all so proud of Ash and acknowledge the values and successes through triumph and the low times where Ash’s character was tested and shone through maintaining her strength and values and always commending the support of her team family and fans.”  

Sign Campaign for Ash Barty Bridge

Ash Barty Statue

Meanwhile, a campaign has been launched to build a statue for Barty in Greater Springfield. Created by Melina MacNellie-Verrall, the petition could pave the way for the creation of Brisbane’s first statue dedicated to a woman.

“The point was raised that Brisbane does not have any female statues recognising their achievements,” Ms MacNellie-Verrall wrote. “Ash Barty deserves to be recognised for her success as one of Queensland’s greatest sportswomen for many years to come and what a wonderful opportunity to be Brisbane’s first female statue.”

SIGN THE CAMPAIGN for ASH BARTY STATUE

Council’s Plans 

It comes as Ipswich Mayor Teresa Harding has been looking into renaming some bridges, roads, and nature reserves amidst calls from the community. These landmarks include:

Paul Pisasale Bridge – Springfield CentralDavid Morrison Way – Springfield
Paul Tully Bridge – Springfield CentralPaul Tully Avenue – Collingwood
David Pahlke Bridge – Springfield CentralSheila Ireland Reserve – Redbank Plain

Whilst the mayor agrees with the community’s call for the renaming, she said that the Council would still conduct a proper investigation into the cost of changing public landmarks, which will be shouldered by ratepayers. She said that residents and businesses that could be affected by the name change will be consulted and that Council will need 75 percent of the public to agree before proceeding with the plans.

The mayor also believes that the city should give Barty the “highest honour,” especially after her display of sportsmanship at Wimbledon. She is aware of the petition but given the association with the bridge, Harding said that wants to give Barty something more special to top the Paul Pisasale Bridge. She also plans to run some ideas with the tennis champ herself. 

Ash Barty at the Tokyo Olympics

Meanwhile, after her success at Wimbledon, Barty failed to win an Olympic medal at the women’s single in the Tokyo Olympics. Team Spain’s Sara Sorribes Tormo knocked Barty off the first-round match.

Barty and Storm Sanders also failed to win the women’s doubles match against Czech Republic’s Katerina Siniakova and Barbora Krejcikova. But as Barty was not yet ready to throw in the towel, she and John Peers won bronze medals at the mixed doubles, their first Olympic medals in their career.

Read: Construction Ongoing for New Brighton Homes Arena in Springfield Central

After Tokyo Olympics, Barty will play at the U.S. Open and then come home in November. She has houses in Springfield Lakes and Augustine Heights. The renaming might need to wait until the champion returns home.