Ash Barty claims groundbreaking French Open

She only returned to the sport of tennis in 2016, but within 3 years Ash Barty has won her first ever Major Tournament at Roland Garros. Despite a tiring 3 set semi-final against Amanda Anisimova on Friday, Barty had no problems dismantling World Number #38 Markéta Vondroušová in 2 sets, 6-1 6-3.

The 23-year-old Queenslander was dominant from the start, taking a quick 4-0 lead in the 1st and despite coming across some resistance in the 2nd set, Barty never looked like losing.

With this victory Ash cements herself as the World Number #2, 136 points behind Naomi Osaka. This ranking will be the highest for an Australian woman since Evonne Goolagong Cawley who was the World Number #1 in 1976, and should see her facing a favorable draw in Wimbledon, which starts on the 1st of July, as Barty aims to chase Osaka.

Barty further wrote herself into the history books of Australian tennis by becoming the first Australian to win the French Open since Margaret Court in 1973, the second Indigenous player to ever win a major alongside Evonne Goolagong Cawley and the first Australian to a major since Sam Stosur won the US Open in 2011.

Post match Barty was all smiles saying, “I’m speechless, it’s incredible, I played the perfect match today”

Click PLAY to hear Mr. Tennis Craig Gabriel wrap up Day 19 of the French Open with Mieke Buchan and Billy McGee on Macquarie Sports Radio’s Weekend Mornings