ASHLEIGH BARTY
More than a Comeback Barty’s slice backhand, pictured above, is one of her most dangerous and unique strokes.
By Joey Hanf You’ve probably heard her name by now, but Ashleigh Barty’s rise to the top of the WTA rankings was nothing short of unexpected. She was an incredibly promising junior and soon a breakout teenage star, but that ascent came to a staggering halt. As we look back at Barty’s hiatus and ensuing success, remember that even when the stars align, sometimes we take a different path. At just 15 years old, it looked like Barty was going to be the next great Australian star. She became just the second Aussie to win the Wimbledon Junior Girls Championship in 2011, and the first since 1998 to win any junior major. Australia, a country with rich history of tennis success, was craving for a female star after a decades long drought. Margaret Court, still the all-time leader with 24 major titles, last won in 1963, and has not done much in recent years to help her popularity with the general public. 40
EXPERIENCE Magazine | www.ExperienceCDT.com
