Ash Barty is set to make her grand return to tennis during Wimbledon and her doubles partner Casey Dellacqua has opened up about reuniting with her “best mate”.
Australian tennis star Ash Barty has announced the arrival of her first child, a baby boy named Hayden.
Wimbledon will begin on July 1 and the exhibition event will kick off on July 9, with Barty, 28, and Dellacqua, 39, set to play at least three matches as part of the women’s doubles tournament.
On Wednesday, Dellacqua headlined the Asics Lace Up event in Sydney’s Centennial Park to celebrate a new generation of Aussie athletes – including weightlifter Kyle Bruce, break dancer Rachael Gunn and rugby stars (and sisters) Maddison and Tegan Levi – exactly one month before the Paris Olympics kick off.
“I’ve got that mentality of once an Olympian always an Olympian,” she told SkyNews.com.au.
Dellacqua headlined the Asics Lace Up event in Sydney’s Centennial Park to mark the 2024 Paris Olympics. Picture: Supplied.
“Now I’m retired I guess I’m reflective on what I’ve done and being a two-time Olympian is something I’m really proud of.”
Dellacqua, who represented Australia at the 2008 Beijing Games and again at the 2012 London Games, says the Olympics are an “extra special” milestone for tennis players.
“Even as a tennis player we get to play in lots of major events but the Olympics is extra special,” she said.
But Olympic talk soon turned to Wimbledon, with Dellacqua set to fly out to the UK to reunite with Barty within days.
Ash Barty and Casey Dellacqua playing doubles during the Brisbane International in 2017. Picture: Getty.
Barty and Dellacqua were a once formidable doubles pairing who reached four grand slam finals together.
“It’s going to be really great to be back at Wimbledon and to play with my best mate is going to be extra special,” she said.
Ironically, the return of the Barty party to screens is a TV event in danger of rivalling the Paris Games as the appointment viewing of the year.
Dellacqua, a former World No.26 in singles and No.3 in doubles, retired from the game in 2018 after an illustrious career that saw the Sydney native win the 2011 French Open in Mixed Doubles.
Barty has credited Dellacqua with convincing her to return to tennis in 2016. Picture by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images.
More recently, Casey has become best known as a staple on Channel Nine’s tennis coverage alongside the likes of her peers (and friends) Jelena Dokic, Sam Stosur and Alicia Molik.
Barty has credited her pal Dellacqua with convincing her to return to tennis in 2016, a decision which ultimately saw Ash win three grand slams on all three surfaces before her shock retirement.
Former World No.1 Barty retired at the height of her career in 2022 just months after winning her third grand slam at the Australian Open and has not returned to Wimbledon since winning the event in 2021.