Three years after becoming Wimbledon women’s singles champion, Ash Barty has made a successful and enjoyable return to Centre Court, and has enjoyed every minute of her anniversary comeback.
In a cruel irony, it was the hip injury withdrawal of compatriot Alex de Minaur from his quarter-final match with Novak Djokovic that ensured 2021 Australian winner Barty was asked to step in and provide a touch of star quality to help fill the void on the main stage on Wednesday.
Playing alongside best friend Casey Dallacqua in the Legends Invitational doubles, Barty couldn’t have looked happier, mixing easy missed volleys and lofted forehands while also providing just a few tantalising glimpses of the quality we’ve all really been missing in her absence.
The Australian friends ended up beating Andrea Petkovic and Magdalena Rybarikova by 5-7 6-3 (10-7) but, in reality, nobody really cared about the score.
Because it was just heartening to see the 28-year-old, now mum to a one-year-old baby, having a bit of fun with her old friend, laughing and apologising profusely for yet another rusty mistake or looking a little pleased with herself for the odd winner evoking glorious memories.
“It was an amazing feeling. Obviously, this is the place that holds some of my most precious memories, and it’s really nice to be back with my best friend on the court. It’s very special,” said the 28-year-old.
Asked why she found out about her move to Centre Court late, she said: “Yes, it was a big surprise. It was a very pleasant surprise. I was making lunch for my son at our house when I got an email saying we had been moved to Centre Court.
‘I called Casey right away and said, ‘This is a little different than what we had planned!’ But we were excited.
Barty returned to arguably the world’s most famous tennis court three years after winning the Wimbledon women’s singles title.
The Australian great was all smiles as she made a victorious return to the scene of one of the biggest wins of her career.
Barty teamed with fellow Australian Casey Dallacqua to defeat Andrea Petkovic and Magdalena Rybarikova.
“It’s a beautiful course. It’s, in my opinion, the best course in the world. I’m very grateful and very lucky to be able to share an experience there again today.”
It was, however, moving to watch this masterful player play at half pace in a two-thirds empty stadium on the third anniversary of her triumph over Karolina Pliskova, a day when she put on a tennis masterclass for everyone to enjoy.
One Barty volley in particular — an exquisitely angled backhand that skimmed the net from one side of the court to the other to earn the loudest ovation from the sparse crowd — proved to be the brightest reminder of the rare talent that made her the world No. 1 just two years before her shock retirement.
Although he made it abundantly clear that there would be no proper competitive comeback, the winning mentality is still there and he upped his game in the champion’s deciding tiebreak to ensure his comeback was a winning one.
But when a reporter later asked her when she would make her real return to tennis, she quickly corrected him with a fluid backhand.
“They’re killing me, I don’t know how much more. Does anyone have a thesaurus for a word I can use to say ‘no’?” he sighed.
—No, my friend. I am not.
Barty showed off her trademark sense of humor when asked the obvious question about getting back on tour.
One shot in particular, a beautifully angled backhand volley, reminded fans that the 28-year-old can still be a level above if she returns to tournament competition.
After the win, Barty was asked about Alex de Minaur being forced to withdraw from his quarter-final match against Novak Djokovic due to injury.
“I’m heartbroken for Alex,” she said.
“I mean, you can see how much it means to him. Like he said, this was the biggest game of his life. This was the opportunity he had worked so hard for. For something as terrible as that to happen.”
“But he’s a resilient athlete. He’s a very strong guy. I know this is going to be a challenge, but there will be a ray of hope somewhere along the way that will help him grow, no doubt.
“He’s too smart, too driven and too passionate not to learn from it and not to grow from it.
“But it hurts. You can’t hide behind the fact that it’s horrible. You have to be able to accept it.
“It’s okay to let him go flat for a while, but I’m sure he’ll be able to come back. When he’s back on the court, fit and healthy, he’ll get back to doing what he does best.”