Before January was two weeks old, Ash Barty knocked off world #1 Simona Halep to begin her rise in the world rankings. Before the year reached the halfway mark, Barty took hold of the world #1 ranking for the first time in her career. As 2019 moves toward its final month, Barty has amassed four singles titles, 57 singles match wins and collected over $11 million in prize money. Easily her most dominant year, Barty will end 2019 as a twenty three year old woman atop the world of tennis.
Ash Barty in 2019
Starting Strong at Home
An Aussie playing in her home country, Barty played a great Sydney International tournament preping for the Australian Open. She knocked off 3 players inside the world top twenty before falling to Petra Kvitova in the final. In the first Grand Slam of 2019, Barty won eight of nine sets to cruise to quarterfinals before falling to Kvitova again.
Big Win and the Top 10
Barty’s success accelerated in the early Spring of 2019. After bowing out in the third round to world #6 Elina Svitolina in Indian Wells, Barty began to stake her claim in South Florida. On the hard courts of Miami, Barty defeated 4 top twenty players, including friendly nemisis Kvitova the quarters to take the Miami Open trophy. Her success in Miami vaulted the young Aussie inside of the world top 10.
Barty Owned June
As mid-year approached, Barty’s game rounded into form, leading to the best month of her professional career. Beginning in the late days of May, Barty started her run at the French Open. At Roland Garros, Barty won 7 matches while dropping only 2 sets to capture her first Grand Slam title. In her finals victory over Czech Marketa Vondrousova, Barty dropped only 4 games in taking the title 6-1 6-3.
Her title in Paris helped vault Barty to the world #1 ranking which she officially claimed on June 24. Riding high and carrying a still hot hand, Barty then won the Nature Valley Classic in Birmingham, England. Barty rolled through the Birmingham field without dropping a set. She defeated Julia Goerges in the final and began to extend her time at world #1.
Still At the Top
While Barty cooled off a bit in later 2019, she still remained strong. Her run at all 4 Grand Slams extended farther than in any previous year as she reached at least the 4th round in all the events. Additionally, she reached the finals at the China Open before falling to Naomi Osaka and then turned around to win the Shiseido WTA Finals to close out the WTA season.
The young woman from Down Under will exit 2019 on top of the tennis world. Her next Grand Slam is in Melbourne in January, she will be ready.
