By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Tuesday July 4, 2023
Today the world learned that Ash Barty has become a mother for the first time. The three-time major champion, who retired from the sport while holding the No.1 ranking last year (at the age of 26), has been out of the sport for a while, but Aryna Sabalenka thinks she could produce a phenomenal comeback if she ever has the desire.
“I definitely think she has everything to come back,” Sabalenka, the No. 2 seed at Wimbledon, said. “She's very talented. I feel like she already made it once. I think if she's going to decide to come back playing tennis, she's going to do well.”
Watching Barty retire at the age of 26 while she was on top of the sport was bittersweet for players, pundits and fans alike. Selfishly, many wished she would have stuck around to develop a rivalry with her successor at the top of the rankings, Iga Swiatek. Rivalry aside, many just wanted to keep enjoying her special brand of tennis, seemingly custom-made for Wimbledon’s manicured lawns, and her down-to-earth personality, which had charmed purists for many years.
"Ash Barty, she’s one of the good ones, to be sure. Which is why many can’t help imagining what it would be like to see Barty – at some point and on her own terms of course – follow the lead of mothers like Kim Clisters and Caroline Wozniacki back to the sport.
Sabalenka, to be clear, is just happy that her former rival is enjoying herself.
“I'm super happy for her,” Sabalenka said. “I wish her all the best in her new chapter of her life. Having a baby, that's really amazing. I think she's really enjoying it. Super happy for her.
But she can’t help missing the affable Aussie on tour.
“I really miss Ashleigh on tour. I really enjoyed our matches against each other, all our battles. It was always nice to play against her. She made her decision, and I really respect it. I wish her all the best in her new life."
Photo Source: Clive Brunskill/Getty