Ashleigh Barty feels "the stars aligned" for her at Wimbledon, says the win gave her the "most incredible feeling" she's ever had on a court

Ashleigh Barty gave herself a fairytale ending with a 6-3, 6(4)-7, 6-3 victory over Karolina Pliskova in the final of Wimbledon 2021. With the win, Barty ended Australia's 41-year wait for the Venus Rosewater Dish.

The championship match hosted an array of celebrities in the stands, including Martina Navratilova, Billie Jean King and Hollywood actor Tom Cruise. And it's fair to say that Barty and Pliskova provided a great show for the iconic spectators and a packed Centre Court crowd.

Having fulfilled a childhood dream this fortnight, Ashleigh Barty was brimming with emotion in her post-match press conference. She repeatedly used the word 'incredible' to describe her feelings, and claimed that everything fell in place perfectly during the tournament.

"To be able to be successful here at Wimbledon, to achieve my biggest dream, has been absolutely incredible," Barty said. "The stars aligned for me over the past fortnight."

Barty also revealed had a sense of disbelief in the immediate aftermath of the win. She went on to dedicate the historic feat to her team and the people who helped her on her journey towards achieving her dreams.

"It was the most incredible feeling I think I’ve ever experienced on a tennis court," the Aussie said. "There was certainly disbelief. I think I’ve worked so hard my whole career with my team and with people that mean the most to me to try and achieve my goals and my dreams. To be able to do that today was incredible."

She further elaborated on what it means to create her own legacy in a rich sporting nation like Australia. Barty hopes that her victory can inspire the generation coming after her to believe in their dreams.

"Australians have such a rich history in sport, and I think being able to be a very small part of that is something I always dreamt of, try and create a legacy, try and create a path for young girls and boys to believe in their dreams," the World No. 1 said. "Being able to kind of live through that and learn my lessons along the way has been some of the best parts of my journey."

Ashleigh Barty posing with the Venus Rosewater Dish in front of the Wimbledon "Wall of Champions"

Ashleigh Barty's rise to the top of the game - including her maiden Grand Slam triumph at Roland Garros 2019 - was a result of constant learning from the lows and highs of her early years. She opened up about her journey of evolving as a tennis player and how open communication with her team had been the key.

"I think from every single match there have been different things that I’ve learned, whether it’s from experience or the tennis itself, the match itself," Barty said. "I think being open to that growth is a massive part of my life, both personally and professionally. It's a massive part of my team as well in allowing ourselves to have open conversations, allowing ourselves to have open communication."

"Some of my toughest moments have come at Wimbledon" - Ashleigh Barty

Before her title run at Wimbledon 2021, Ashleigh Barty's best result at the All England Club was a fourth-round finish. But she had tasted a sliver of glory at the grass-court Major back in 2011, by winning the junior title.

It took 10 years of perseverance and dealing with tough losses for her to finally etch her name on the Venus Rosewater Dish. While reflecting on her journey, Barty gushed about how iconic the Wimbledon venue is, before calling herself a "lucky girl" to have learned some important lessons there.

"I feel like Wimbledon is where tennis was born essentially," Barty said. "This is where it all started. This is where so many hopes and dreams were kind of born. I think being able to understand that as I played here and played here as a junior, was able to experience that incredible week, and as I’ve said before, some of my toughest moments have come at Wimbledon."

"Now some of my most incredible moments have come here as well," she added. "I think it's just an iconic venue. It's an amazing club. To be able to learn so much from this place, I think I'm a very lucky girl."