The year 2022 has seen many big names bid adieu to the sport of tennis. Earlier this year, Australian tennis star, Ashleigh Barty shocked the entire tennis fraternity with her decision to call it quits after lifting the Australian Open title. Recently, Serena Williams, too, announced that this month’s US Open will be the last tournament of her professional career. During their prime days, Serena and Barty squared off against each other on multiple occasions. As Serena nears retirement, Barty reminisced her battles against the 23-time Grand Slam champion.
Ashleigh Barty on playing against Williams.
During an interview, Barty opened up about her matches against the younger Williams sister. She said, “The first [time] I was a very young girl who was intimidated. The second time I thought I had a chance and I did.”
Barty had more to add.
Further, she added, “But the way that she plays and her greatness was too good for me. I would have loved to have challenged myself one last time. That’s my competitive spirit, and me learning from the experiences that I had.”
Ashleigh Barty feels fortunate to play against Serena Williams.
“Not many people on this planet get to say that they played Serena and I’m one of those few people that really got to experience her when she was at her best. It’s a memory and an experience that I’ll never forget and learnt a lot from.”
Barty vs Serena.
During their career, the two faced off against each other thrice. While Serena prevailed on two occasions, their latest meeting at Melbourne 500 Yarra Valley in 2021 resulted in a walkover for the Australian star.