Tennis – WTA Premier 5 – Italian Open – Foro Italico, Rome, Italy – May 13, 2021 Australia’s Ashleigh Barty in action in her third match against Russia’s Veronika Kudermetova REUTERS / Guglielmo Mangiapane
Winning a Grand Slam is the ultimate goal of most tennis players, but Ash Barty says there is no greater honor than representing your country and the world number one sees the Olympics as the heyday of sport.
Barty, the 2019 Roland Garros champion, looks forward to donning Australia’s green and gold colors when the Tokyo Games begin in July after the event was postponed for a year due to the COVID pandemic. 19.
Tennis is normally an individual sport, although players also have the opportunity to represent their country at the annual Billie Jean King Cup.
“Green and gold for me is always the pinnacle,” Barty told Olympics.com. “I got a little taste of it, but I think the Olympics are the pinnacle of all sports.
“It’s a great place to be able to compete with the best in the world. All the best athletes in the world come together in one place, which is quite special.
“And I think the experience will be tingling in the spine.”
Barty was not even 5 years old when Cathy Freeman, clad in a green, white and gold bodysuit, won the gold in the 400m at the Sydney Olympics in 2000, but the native track star got her makes a lasting impression.
“I remember her outfit … and, not knowing much (else) about what was going on being such a young girl,” Barty, who is the first Australian native since Evonne Goolagong Cawley, said to to be at the top of the world ranking.
“And I think every time you see this outfit now in Australia, it’s iconic and everyone knows exactly what it is for. It’s a really, really special memory to burn in my brain.”
Barty had the opportunity to speak to Freeman after leaving his home Grand Slam semi-finals in Melbourne in 2020.
“She was an idol to me growing up,” Barty added. “She has been an idol and icon to so many Indigenous girls and boys all over Australia.
“Being able to get in touch with her and have a relationship with her personally has been amazing. I think everyone knows and remembers where they were when she won that amazing final.”
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