World No. 1 Ashleigh Barty competed at the Australian Open 2021 but fell short and made an exit in the quarterfinal stage. She lost to Karolina Muchova after winning the first set but faltered in the next two sets. In the previous season, the Australian player reached the semifinal of her home Grand Slam.

Although Ashleigh Barty has not tasted much success in Australia, she surpassed the likes of Rafael Nadal and Serena Williams as a marketable force in the region. Being ahead of two of the legends of the game clearly indicates her popularity level in the country. 

The World No. 1 trails behind Roger Federer when it comes to marketability. But in the time to come, she might go past the Swiss superstar too. For a 24-year-old player to be ahead of the veterans of the game is commendable. 

Gemba Group: “Ashleigh Barty’s likeability is higher than Federer’s”

The Gemba Group has measured the ratings and popularity of these athletes with the Australian public and managing director, Andrew Condon, stated, “I think she’ll eventually surpass Federer whether she wins the Open or not. When you look behind the numbers, her likeability is higher than Federer’s, it’s just her awareness that needs to grow.”

Condon feels that Barty should have more publicity through her on-court interviews. The more she speaks about herself in front of the public eye, the better it would be for her in the long run. 

Condon further added, “More exposure through on-court TV time, but also through other media commitments and sponsor commitments are only going to put her in front of a wider audience more often, which will see her push up that likeability metric. She’s probably going to struggle to become more liked, it’s probably about her broadening her appeal.”

Although Ashleigh’s stint at the Australian Open ended in despair, she will compete at the Adelaide International. She will be playing against Danielle Collins in the Round of 16 matches. 

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