“It’s your job mate,” Ash Barty takes a joking dig at Iga Swiatek during their exhibition match for Kids Tennis Day event

Ash Barty jokes around after Iga Swiatek misses the target in the Kids Tennis Day event.

“It’s your job mate,” Ash Barty takes a joking dig at Iga Swiatek during their exhibition match for Kids Tennis Day event

Ash Barty and Iga Swiatek

Australian former tennis star Ash Barty joked at Iga Swiatek for missing the target in the Kids Tennis Day event. Tennis Australia conducted an event for the kids at Melbourne Park that included many fun activities and events. On this occasion, Tennis Australia invited popular tennis players to grace the event.

Some of them are Nick Kyrgios, Victoria Azarenka, Ash Barty, Iga Swiatek, etc. The main purpose of this event is to develop the sport of tennis among Australian kids. As a part of this mega event, players were asked to hit the green-colored target box in pairs, and the one with the most hits would win. The current world No. 1, Iga, and the former world No. 1, Ash, paired up for this game.

YouTube video

Next to these targets, the players will have to hit the hurdles as well. When Iga kept missing the targets, Ash made a little joke about it, reminding her that it was her job. Throughout the game, they both were vocal and shared some fun banter between themselves. Ash continued to pull Iga’s leg and distract her while Iga moved closer to the net to hit the target. 

When Ash Barty finally hits the target, she turns to Iga and says it’s her job and she ought to do better. Overall, it was a good and fun matchup between two world No.1s. The kids and fans were vocal throughout, encouraging the players.

Iga Swiatek talks about the tennis tradition in Poland

The world No. 1 Iga Swiatek, opens up about the tradition of tennis in her country. The tennis star never believed she would win three Grand Slam titles and secure the No.1 spot. She remains among the top female tennis players at the moment.

Iga Swiatek with Roland Garros trophy
Iga Swiatek with the Roland Garros trophy (via Imago)

This was mainly because she never thought Poland had a tennis culture as rich as the United States. Growing up, she rarely had anyone to look up to as a role model in her country. The Polish star, in a statement, mentioned her mindset before becoming a champion.

I never really believed that it actually was going to be possible for me to win a Grand Slam or be World No. 1 because I’m not from a country with a long tradition of playing tennis. I think if I were American, I would’ve believed in myself a lot more from a young age because they have so many famous people that made it, and so many great examples to follow.
Iga Swiatek via The Players Tribunal

She also included saying that her home country lacked the system, infrastructure, and conditions needed for the sport to grow. However, she also recalls saying she became quite popular in her country and added that people would easily recognize her everywhere.

In Case You Missed It: