Fifteen months since deciding to step away from professional tennis, Ash Barty cuts a relaxed figure in the back yard of her Brisbane home as her beloved dogs play in the background and the former world No 1 contemplates the next chapter of her life. A recent dip in temperature in south-east Queensland has brought some relief to the expectant mother who, after a whirlwind year that has belied her expectations of retirement, will “shut up shop” after completing a final ambassadorial role on Monday.
The three-time grand slam champion, who is pregnant with her first child, has found the 15 months since she decided to step away from professional tennis both exciting and challenging. From publishing her autobiography My Dream Time to mentoring young players such as the rising star Olivia Gadecki, from competing in a golf exhibition in the United States to her coming role as the face of the Australian Made Week campaign, Barty has been busier than she could ever have imagined.
“There were periods where I felt like I had no idea what I was doing and then there were other periods where I felt like there weren’t enough hours in the day,” she says. “The book tour … was a big project that took a lot of time and took a lot of energy. We wanted to do it well, but emotionally and mentally, it probably sapped more out of me than I realised.
“But it was awesome. I think it was a really nice way to kind of have that line in the sand, to literally close the chapter and look to what’s next. Then a few months ago, our world and our future was tipped on its head [with the pregnancy]. It’s been challenging. But it’s also been unique and, probably, everything I could have asked for.”
The 27-year-old has travelled extensively across Australia and internationally since her retirement in March 2022, for endeavours related to her work and foundation, but also for pleasure. Highlights included her first visit to Uluru, where she coached kids in the shadows of the famous sandstone monolith, and cheering on compatriot Cam Smith at St Andrews in the 150th Open. She also headed to New Zealand on a honeymoon with husband Garry Kissick, but the couple of have “put the passport” and their “suitcases away” ahead of parenthood.
Something that has surprised Barty over the past year is the amount of tennis she has watched, which was never a habit when she was a world-beater on the tour. She is satisfying her competitive urges on the golf course but not being able to strategise with her former coach Craig Tyzzer is among the joys she is missing in retirement.
“Probably what I miss the most is the thrill of the fight with Tyzz, sitting down together and working out a way to completely unravel our opponent,” she says. “That’s what I loved the most, the tactical side of the game and being able to make your opponent feel very uncomfortable and do that with my skills and my weapons. I do miss spending time with … all of my team. But our relationship hasn’t changed. The contact is just not as frequent and not as high octane, I will say. But the team footy tipping account is still alive and well, so the banter is still flying.”
Barty has partnered with Tyzzer and Jason Stoltenberg, who also coached Lleyton Hewitt to win Wimbledon, to form a consultancy mentoring promising Australian players. They “have different methods and philosophies” but share the common goal of “wanting to turn good people into great athletes [with] a genuine chance to do something special”.
“I think as an athlete, you become quite self-absorbed and very selfish, though in a good way,” she says. “It’s been really nice to kind of take the blinkers off and look at things with a broader view. It’s been really nice over the last 12 months to do some work with them. It is a different skill. I was very lucky to have them as part of my journey. To be able to do it together with them now and pick their brain, I’m really enjoying it.”
The growing rivalry between the world’s top two women, Iga Swiatek and Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka, has caught her eye in the lead-in to Roland Garros. Swiatek and Barty bonded over their love of reading and the Polish champion caught up with her predecessor as the world No 1 while in Brisbane in January.
The plight of another close friend in Simona Halep, who has been provisionally suspended since October after recording a positive drug test, has also snared Barty’s attention. Halep, 31, recently pleaded with authorities to hasten a hearing into the circumstances surrounding the dual-major winner’s positive for Roxadustat at the US Open in September.
“I love Simo and I respect Simo. I’ve spoken to her a little bit over the last 12 months or so, just checking in to see how she is going. She is an exceptional person,” Barty says. “I really sincerely hope that she has an opportunity to have her say and to explain her side, because there are always two sides to every story. I think you’d be struggling to find anyone who wouldn’t want to see her back out there doing what she absolutely loves, which is competing on a big stage against the best in the world.”
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Watching her friends and former foes trading groundstrokes is one thing. But Barty is less in tune with current affairs, saying the television in her household is rarely on until the evening. She is of course aware of the debate surrounding the referendum on the Indigenous voice to parliament to be held later this year, and acknowledges “it’s an important discussion, that’s for sure”.
But she preferred to point to her ongoing work with Indigenous communities when asked her view, noting she is going to have her hands full in the second half of the year. “My focus continues to be on helping to provide opportunities for First Nations youth in sport and education through the Ash Barty Foundation,” she says. “I’m about to take some time away to be a mum, and to spend time with our little family, but supporting First Nations people will always be a priority for me.”
Shortly after her retirement from tennis, Barty competed in the star-studded Icon Series at the Liberty National Golf Course in New Jersey. That, she jokes, fuelled the flames regarding discussion of a possible career change but similarly to a comeback to tennis, it was the furthest thing from her mind.
Between now and becoming a mother, Barty is hopeful of sneaking a few more rounds on her local course with her husband, though the former Brookwater Golf Club women’s champion has noted with some annoyance a surprising side-effect of pregnancy.
“I’ve always had a bit of a fade and, all of a sudden, I’ve got this very circular swing and I’m hitting these draws,” she says. “Trying to get down to the ball is a bit more challenging. I’ve had some good rounds, but I’ve had some absolute shockers as well. I’ll try and hang on a bit longer if I can, but I’m not too optimistic.”
