MELBOURNE (Reuters) – Factbox on Australia’s Ash Barty, who won her first Australian Open title on Saturday, beating American Danielle Collins 6-3 7-6(2) in the final:
Age: 25
Nation: Australia
WTA ranking: 1
Seeding: 1
Grand Slam titles: 3 (French Open 2019; Wimbledon 2021; Australian Open 2022)
ROAD TO THE TITLE
First round: beat Lesia Tsurenko (Ukraine) 6-0 6-1
Second round: beat Lucia Bronzetti (Italy) 6-1 6-1
Third round: beat 30-Camila Giorgi (Italy) 6-2 6-3
Fourth round: beat Amanda Anisimova (United States) 6-4 6-3
Quarter-finals: beat 21-Jessica Pegula (United States) 6-2 6-0
Semi-finals: beat Madison Keys (United States) 6-1 6-3
Final: beat 27-Danielle Collins (United States) 6-3 7-6(2)
EARLY LIFE
* Began playing tennis aged five when parents Robert and Josie introduced her to the sport.
CAREER TO DATE
* After starting on the professional entry-level ITF circuit in Australia in 2010, she played her first WTA qualifying event at the U.S. Open the following year.
* Barty claimed four singles titles and two doubles titles on the ITF circuit in 2012.
* Won one WTA doubles title and reached three Grand Slam doubles finals with fellow Australian Casey Dellacqua in 2013 (Australian Open, Wimbledon, U.S. Open).
* After winning another WTA doubles title in 2014, she took a break from tennis following the U.S. Open and had a successful stint with the Brisbane Heat cricket team in the Women’s Big Bash League, before returning to tennis in 2016.
* Broke into the top 20 in 2017, clinching her first WTA singles title at Kuala Lumpur as a qualifier. She reached two more singles finals, at Birmingham and Wuhan, before becoming Australia’s number one player.
* Won her second and third WTA singles titles, at Nottingham and Zhuhai, to finish 2018 ranked 15 in the world. Claimed four more doubles titles.
* Sealed her first title of 2019 at Miami in March before clinching her maiden Grand Slam at the French Open, beating Czech Marketa Vondrousova in the final to become the first Australian woman player in 46 years to triumph at Roland Garros.
* The same year, she rose to world number one in June and spearheaded Australia to their first Fed Cup final since 1993, where they lost to France.
* Started her second season as the top-ranked player in 2020. Won her eighth WTA singles title at Adelaide and reached the semi-finals of the Australian Open, losing to eventual champion Sofia Kenin.
* Did not participate in any other Grand Slams in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, before returning at the Australian Open in 2021 where she lost to Karolina Muchova in the quarter-finals. Retired from her second-round match at French Open due to a hip injury.
* Defeated Karolina Pliskova in her first Wimbledon final in 2021 to win her second Grand Slam title.
* Finished 2021 as the world number one for a third consecutive year, winning a tour-leading five titles.
* Started 2022 by beating Collins in the Australian Open final to win her third Grand Slam title.
(Compiled by Manasi Pathak in Bengaluru; editing by John Stonestreet)
