Ashleigh Barty: Down-to-earth star of many sporting talents
Ashleigh Barty excels at so many sports that she has played professional cricket and even won a golf tournament, but it was in tennis where she rose to become the best in the world. In January she took her place among the giants of Australian sport by winning her home Grand Slam. It was fitting that Chris O'Neil, the last home-grown player to win the Australian Open, in 1978, was in the stadium to witness Barty ending a 44-year hoodoo and thrilling a nation glued to their televisions. Less than two months later, Barty on Wednesday announced her shock retirement from tennis aged just 25. She leaves the sport having been world number one for more than two years and with three Grand Slam singles titles, having also won the French Open in 2019 and Wimbledon last year.
