Tennis royalty: What Ash Barty said to William and Kate
Ash Barty is now officially tennis royalty after beating Karolina Pliskova and taking her first Wimbledon singles title.
Barty has become the second Australian woman to take the crown in 41 years, following behind Evonne Goolagong Cawley.
Kate Middleton presented Barty with her trophy, and later spoke with the Aussie star alongside Prince William.
Barty joined the British pair upstairs in the Wimbledon clubhouse and spent the rest of the afternoon mindlessly chatting with Middleton, who asked her if she’d spoken to her family the night before she stepped onto Centre Court.
“Yeah I called my niece and nephew and they were so excited,” Barty explained to Middleton.
“I know they’re up watching now.”
Middleton praised Barty for her success, mentioning how difficult it would have been to be restricted by the “intense” life of being stuck in a biosecure bubble.
The tennis star, alongside the rest of the players, we’re all severely limited with their movements in London and on tour in general.
When asked how it felt to play in front of fans and a packed out stadium, Barty admitted it was “the best feeling.”
Australia's Ashleigh Barty holds The Venus Rosewater Dish after winning the Ladies Singles Final during The Championships 2021
“When we walked here, they (the fans) were just incredible.”
William said: “You didn’t look like you had any nerves today at all.”
“Oh no, I did (have nerves),” she responded, chuckling.
“I tried to just hit it out.
“I love playing here ... it brings out the very best in me.”
Middleton added: “I met a little fangirl downstairs, she was so sweet. So you’re inspiring the next generation.”
Barty also got to meet tennis legends Billie Jean King and Martina Navratilova before she rejoined her team in the corridor.
The star broke down in tears again when her boyfriend Garry Kissick wrapped his arms around her.
Barty said her triumph was nothing short of a “miracle”, admitting to reporters post-match that her team had kept a secret from her about the extent of the injury she suffered before the French Open.
It was a hip complaint experts predicted would keep Barty out for two months but she rose to the occasion, despite pulling out from Roland Garros weeks earlier.
“Being able to play here at Wimbledon was nothing short of a miracle,” Barty said.
“They kept a lot of cards close to their chest. It just proved how much we were against the odds.
“To be playing pain-free through this event was incredible. Certainly now chatting to them it looked a lot less likely than I felt. It’s been an incredible month.”
Images: Getty