Ash Barty ended Australia’s drought at the country’s Grand Slam on Saturday, becoming the first Australian player to win the major since 1978.
The top seed overcame a 5-1 deficit in the second set to defeat American Danielle Collins 6-3, 7-6(2) in the Australian Open final. Barty’s victory marks the first time an Australian has clinched the Melbourne major championship since Chris O’Neil did it 44 years prior.
The home hope rises to the occasion 🏆
— wta (@WTA) January 29, 2022
🇦🇺 @ashbarty is an #AusOpen CHAMPION.pic.twitter.com/JmA6nWtSlR
The 25-year-old joins Serena Williams as just the second active player to capture Grand Slam titles on all three surfaces, winning Roland Garros in 2019 and Wimbledon in 2021.
In a dominant Australian Open campaign, Barty charged to victory without dropping a set throughout the entire tournament, becoming the first player to do so since Williams in 2017. The World No. 1 now heads into the next stage of the WTA calendar on an 11-match win streak.
Evonne Goolagong-Cawley, an Australian tennis icon and one of Barty’s idols, presented the 25-year-old with the championship trophy at center court.
“As an Aussie, the most important part of this tournament is being able to share it with so many people,” Barty said following Saturday’s win. “You guys today in the crowd have been nothing shy of exceptional.”