Ash Barty confirms return to the 2023 Australian Open staying true to her word
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Ash Barty
The former world No.1 and Australian star, Ash Barty is back in a new role for the upcoming Australian Open 2023. She is going to mentor a local star who received a wildcard entry, Olivia Gadecki. She kept her word and now is back at Melbourne Park. Earlier, last year, in November she announced that she would be returning to the place where she registered a famous win. Although she did not reveal in what form then.
This champion is all set for her second innings in her career after she retired from professional tennis last year. Ash has three Grand Slam titles to her name at the time of her retirement. She was the defending champion, winning the Australian Open in 2022 and ending the 44-year wait for the host nation. She, however, announced her retirement at 25 soon after her last grand slam title here in Australia.
Related: Iga Swiatek looking forward to meeting ‘Inspiration’ Ash Barty in Australia
Ash Barty and Olivia Gadecki, a new partnership
Talking to the Australian Associated Press, Olivia said “I’ve been really fortunate to always be able to contact her if I have any questions or if I need advice, she has always been there for me,”
She continued saying “The best part is she just treats me like a normal person and we can relate in that regard and off court is just as important as on court.”
Ash Barty is going to join her in Melbourne for her training. The world No.202 says she is lucky to have her by her side during the tournament. She recently participated in the United Cup in Sydney where she revealed this news. The 20-year-old will start her preparation for the Australian Open from next week’s Hobart International.
The return of Ash Barty in some form to the Australian Open is certainly good news to the home crowd. It is now expected that young Olivia will have a bigger audience and support from the home crowd. Although she is unlikely to win the tournament, it can be a great experience to have a former world No.1 as your mentor.
The 20-year-old, Olivia Gadecki can have a lot to learn from her idol. Since her draw will likely be against players ranked higher than her, she needs the experience of someone like Ash to help her improve her game. Irrespective of her performance in the tournament, it will help her a lot in learning under Ash. It’s good of Ash too to help out a young player from her country to develop the sport in her country.
Related: Australian Open 2023 unveils the first six local wildcard candidates
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