Ashleigh Barty beats Nick Kyrgios to top Australian award: ‘Tennis has given me all of my dreams, plus more’
Ashleigh Barty has wrapped up her final year as a professional tennis player by notching up her fifth Newcombe Medal.
The three-time Grand Slam winner beat off competition from Wimbledon runner-up Nick Kyrgios, Alex de Minaur, Matt Ebden, Storm Hunter (nee Sanders), Max Purcell and Ajla Tomljanovic to win the prestigious tennis award in Australia.
Barty won the trophy on the back of her glorious summer at home as she secured the Adelaide International singles and doubles titles in her first tournament of the 2022 season before winning the Australian Open – becoming the first Australian woman to do so in 44 years.
Her victory over Danielle Collins in the final at Melbourne Park turned out to be her final match as a professional player as she announced her retirement in March while ranked at No 1 in the world, stating that she achieved all that she wanted in tennis.
Her three titles were good enough for a fifth Newcombe Medal following her successes in 2017, 2018 (shared with De Minaur), 2019 and 2021 (shared with former wheelchair No 1 Dylan Alcott).
“This has obviously been a very big year in my career and in my life,” she said. “We’ve had exceptional change, we’ve had an amazing year of celebrating a journey of not only myself, but my team, and there is so much to be proud of.
“I stand here very proudly knowing that I absolutely fulfilled every ounce that I could to this beautiful sport that brought me so much more than I could have ever dreamt.
“There are so many people behind the scenes that help me and allowed me to live out my dream and to discover what it felt like to work hard and really chase after something you love.”
Craig Tyzzer, Jim Joyce and Jason Stoltenberg have been her “coaching gurus” and she expressed her gratitude towards her team.
“I am grateful and appreciative to my team. My coaching gurus that taught me my game to everyone behind the scenes,” she said.
The 26-year-old added: “My mom and dad and everyone have been the biggest support network for me. Looking back on this year, what I am most proud of is the people I was surrounded by. Without them I am nothing.
“Thank you to everyone that gave this five-year-old the chance to play her dream out on centre court. I’m so grateful to everything that tennis has given me; it’s given me all of my dreams, plus more.”