Ashleigh Barty is not only world number one thanks to the exceptional quality of her tennis, she is also and above all a fierce competitor.
If she does not necessarily show it on the court thanks to a perfectly mastered body language, the Australian is bubbling inside as she recently confided in an interview where she looked back on the past season.
“When I arrived in Miami at the end of March, I got the impression people were wondering if I was the real number 1 given that Naomi Osaka had won two Grand Slam tournaments in a row. It was probably the first time that I felt a little shaken and I really wanted to make a strong impression on the court. Going through this tournament and playing so well in the end to defend my crown of 2019 felt like a pivotal moment, especially after overcoming a match point in my first round against qualifier Kristina Kucova. It was then that I really wanted to be number 1. I became aware of my determination, of my fiery competitive spirit.. I was like, ‘You know what? It’s going to take someone really, really good to take this away from me. ‘ “
Posted on Thursday, November 25, 2021 at 4:16 PM
