This archive report was first published on 10 July 2021.
On a historic day for Australian tennis, Ash Barty made her mark on Wimbledon by becoming the first Australian woman to win the singles title in 41 years. The 25-year-old world number one defeated Karolina Pliskova in the final on July 10, 2021.
Barty's victory emulated her idol Evonne Goolagong, who claimed the second of her All England Club titles in 1980. Barty, who won her maiden Grand Slam at Roland Garros in 2019, expressed her gratitude to Goolagong, saying, "I hope I made Evonne proud."
The Australian's path to victory was not without its challenges. Pliskova, a former world number one, managed to claw back into the contest by getting two service breaks back. However, Barty maintained her control in the second set, breaking in the third game to open up a 3-1 lead.
With Barty serving for the match, Pliskova broke back immediately to force a tie-break. However, the Australian managed to regroup and jumped to a 3-0 lead in the decider with an early break, which proved enough. Barty converted her first match point when Pliskova committed a backhand unforced error, her 32nd of the match.
After the match, Barty broke into tears, saying she was unable to remember what happened on match point. She also praised Pliskova, saying, "She brought out the best of me today."
With this victory, Barty has cemented her place in Australian tennis history, and her fans are overjoyed. "It's better than I ever imagined," she said, reflecting on her win.
