Ashleigh Barty

About Ashleigh Barty

A true testament to athletic versatility, Ashleigh Barty, a legend in the world of Australian tennis, also etched her name into the annals of cricket during the inaugural season of the Women’s Big Bash League.

Having already achieved junior Wimbledon champion status and reached doubles finals at three Grand Slams, Barty made the remarkable decision in late 2014, at the age of 18, to step away from tennis. She then turned her focus to cricket, beginning her journey with the Western Suburbs District Cricket Club in Brisbane.

Her talent was undeniable, manifesting almost immediately. In just her second club match, Barty scored an explosive 63 not out from 60 balls, a performance that swiftly earned her a contract with the Brisbane Heat for the 2015-16 season.

She played a pivotal role in the WBBL’s very first game, contributing 39 runs from just 27 balls for a Heat side that included established stars like Jess Jonassen and Beth Mooney. Throughout that groundbreaking season, Barty featured in nine of their 14 matches.

Her cricketing summer extended further, as she also played two 50-over games for Queensland in the Women’s National Cricket League (WNCL). Additionally, she was instrumental in helping Wests secure their local competition title, top-scoring in the grand final and maintaining an impressive season average of 46.60, including a memorable century.

Despite a highly successful introduction to cricket, Barty eventually returned to tennis a short time later, where she soared to unparalleled heights, clinching the French Open singles title in 2019, Wimbledon in 2021, and the Australian Open in 2022.

Barty often reflects on her time in cricket as a crucial period that helped her rediscover her love for tennis, frequently praising the profound influence of her Queensland teammates.

In 2019, she spoke warmly of the experience, stating, “It truly was an amazing period of my life. I met an amazing group of people who couldn’t care less whether I could hit a tennis ball or not. They accepted me, and they got to know Ash Barty. They got to know me.”

She continued to express her enduring gratitude, adding, “I still have those relationships to this very day. The way they are accepting of someone new coming into their locker room, into their dressing room and into their sport was amazing. They are truly an incredible group of girls that I know I’ll have a relationship with for the rest of my life and a friendship with for the rest of my life.”