Ashleigh Barty still number one on Google
Ashleigh Barty may have announced her retirement from the WTA Tour in March 2022 - this does not detract from her popularity.
by tennisnet.com
last edit:
Dec 10, 2022, 08:57 am
Well, who can remember Ashleigh Barty's last opponent when she was active on the WTA tour? Correct: It was Danielle Collins who had to admit defeat to the local hero in the final of the Australian Open 2023. The fourth American in a row, by the way, who rudely sent Barty home. This was followed by a few weeks of hiatus, limited only by the resignation in March, followed by months of no pressure that continue to this day.
The occasional appearance at a golf tournament (in the summer, for example, with England's soccer captain Harry Kane in New York), but otherwise Barty keeps out of the public eye. But that doesn't detract from their popularity. Which had to be proven on two very different levels these days.
Barty wins the Don Award for the second time
For one thing, Ashleigh Barty is the most searched woman on Google in Australia. Not just in terms of sport, but in general. In terms of tennis alone, you could have put your trust in Nick Kyrgios, who suddenly found himself in the summer and played really successfully.
Much more important, however, is Barty's recent award with the Don Award. In Australia, this is awarded to sports personalities or teams that have been the most inspirational over the past year. Barty already won this prize in 2019, that year the still only 25-year-old won her first of a total of three major titles in Roland Garros. Only two other personalities have won the Don Award twice: hurdler Sally Pearson and pole vaulter Steve Hooker.