Australian ace Ashleigh Barty became the 14th WTA year-end World No. 1 player in 2019. She went on to retain the same in 2020 and is still clearly ahead in 2021. However, what makes her more special than anybody else is that she also excelled in a sport outside tennis as well.

The now 24-year-old Australian had taken a break from tennis at the end of her 2014 season. During that time, she received an opportunity to play in the Australian women’s domestic T20 cricket competition, the Women’s Big Bash League. She played nine games for Brisbane Heat in the 2015-2016 season.

Ashleigh Barty reveals her passion and love for cricket

Recently, Ashleigh Barty came on the WTA’s One on One show with tennis legend Chris Evert. In the episode, she opened up on how she swiftly shifted from a tennis racquet to a cricket bat.

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Firstly, the reigning Miami Open champion revealed that she played backyard cricket as a kid. Moreover, she also expressed her gratitude to her Brisbane Heat teammates for helping her a great deal.

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“It’s something I am super passionate about. I probably watch more cricket, more Australian rules, more Aussie games than I do tennis if I am being honest. Absolute sport, I love it,” Barty said.

After her revelation, one might assume that she might have chosen to play cricket over tennis. However, she mentioned that it was something that came her way during her break.

She said, “I didn’t stop playing tennis to go and play cricket. It was more than after about 12 months an opportunity came up, and I thought, ‘Why not? Give it a crack and see how we go’. It was really enjoyable; I loved it. I always wanted to challenge myself and to try new things and try different things.”

Interestingly, Ash also plays golf incredibly well.

Ashleigh Barty Reveals Why She Quit Tennis to Play Cricket

Where is Barty playing now?

Fortunately, the 2019 French Open champion decided to return to tennis in 2016. From then on, she has only improved and become one of the greatest players on the current women’s tour.

At present, Barty is safely seated in the quarterfinals at the WTA Stuttgart Open 2021. She will challenge the winner between Jelena Ostapenko and Karolina Pliskova for a semifinal seat in the tournament.

Hopefully, she will become formidable on clay by the time French Open arrives. Do you think Barty can win at Roland Garros again this year?

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