The new world No 1 approaches Wimbledon in confident mood after her French Open win – not bad given that four years ago she was playing cricket having given up on professional tennis
For someone who is so loved, Ashleigh Barty knows a lot about loneliness. “I would love to be home every single minute of every single day,” says the world No 1 and French Open champion, whose home is 12,000 miles away in Queensland, but whose heart and soul for the next fortnight will be at Wimbledon.
She knows, too, about the deadening weight of expectation, the spirit-crushing hopes of others that nearly finished her career before it had properly started, and she is forever grateful that she survived with the help of friends and family.
Written by Kevin Mitchell
This news first appeared on https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2019/jun/28/ashleigh-barty-interview-wimbledon-tennis under the title “Ashleigh Barty: ‘I’ve learned to embrace fame but it’s impossible to please everyone’”. Bolchha Nepal is not responsible or affiliated towards the opinion expressed in this news article.
