“There was no love lost,” Pat Rafter reveals the icy relationship between Ash Barty and Danielle Collins during the 2022 Australian Open

“There was no love lost,” Pat Rafter reveals the icy relationship between Ash Barty and Danielle Collins during the 2022 Australian Open

Ash Barty, Pat Rafter, and Danielle Collins

Ashleigh (Ash) Barty is one of the most loved tennis superstars in the world. She is respected all around the world and is even considered a tennis legend by many diehard fans. 

However, Australian Davis Cup team captain Pat Rafter has revealed that the 3-time Grand Slam champion and Danielle Collins had a difficult relationship. Both players played in the final of the Australian Open 2022. Here, the Australian defeated the American 6-3, 7-6 to clinch the third Grand Slam title of her career. 

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“I knew with her (Barty) and Danielle, they had a bit of a …what’s the word – there was no love lost anyway,” Rafter said in the latest interview.

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Ash Barty then chose to retire from professional sport, shocking the world. Fellow compatriot Pat Rafter had hoped that the 2022 Australian Open champion would reverse her retirement decision. However, he also agrees with Barty’s reason to retire.

“If you don’t have the drive, you can’t play and Ash had lost a bit of that and she said it was time for her (to retire) and you’ve got to respect that,’ he said. We all secretly hope she will come back, but the pressure and expectation and all the things that go along with it…it’s not easy,” he continued.

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Ash Barty and Danielle Collins: Head-to-Head

Danielle Collins and Ash Barty at the Australian Open 2022 (Image Credit: The Economic Times)

Ash Barty has met Danielle Collins five times in her career. The first meeting between the two ladies took place in the Round of 32 matches in the Madrid Open 2019. Here the Australian defeated the American 6-1, 1-6, 6-1. Soon they met again in the first round of the French Open. Here, too, Ash Barty defeated Danielle Collins 7-5, 6-1. She eventually won the 2019 French Open title. This was the first Grand Slam title of her career.

The next meeting between the two ladies took place in the 2020 Adelaide International tournament. This was the semi-final clash between the two. Ash Barty completed a hat-trick of wins against Danielle Collins, when she beat her 3-6, 6-1, 7-6, so early in the season.

Danielle Collins had her revenge though when she defeated Ash Barty in 2021 in Australia. But the most important clash between the Australian and the American came in the final of the Australian Open 2022. This was also the last professional match played by Ash Barty before retirement.

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