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Ashleigh Barty etched her name on the "Wall of Champions" with a historic 6-3, 6(4)-7, 6-3 victory over Karolina Pliskova in the final of Wimbledon 2021.
In a championship match that lived up to the hype, both women showcased incredible skill and fight. After Barty ran away with the first set, Pliskova persevered and came back to clinch the second set in a tight tiebreaker.
The Czech's nerves eventually got the better of her though, and an early break in the third guided Barty to a sweet victory.
The Aussie fell to her knees upon converting match point, which was followed by loud applause from the Centre Court crowd. And during the trophy presentation, Ashleigh Barty spoke about her emotions on being able to fulfill a childhood dream.
"It took me a long time to verbalise saying that I want to win this tournament," Barty said. "And being able to live out my dream right now with everyone here has made it better than I could ever imagine."
Barty had her own set of nerves before the big day, but she revealed that she "felt at home" as she stepped out on the court on Saturday.
"I didn’t sleep a lot last night," the Aussie said. "And I was thinking about all the what ifs. But when I was coming out on this court I felt at home in a way."
Ashleigh Barty dedicated her victory to her team, and expressed her gratitude to them for being with her even during a pandemic year.
"My team is incredible," the World No. 1 said. "They are with me every single step of the way. I can't thank them enough for sacrifising their time and energy in my career, into my dreams. In particular this year, for them to be able to travel with me and to essentially be away from home for 8-9 months is incredible."
Turning her attention to the final, Ashleigh Barty was effusive in her appreciation of Karolina Pliskova. Barty claimed that the Czech forced her to bring out her best tennis.
"Karolina is an incredible competitor and she brought out the best in me today," Barty said."It was an exceptional match right from the start and I knew I had to bring my very best level."
"I was really proud of myself with how I was able to reset (after the second set) and just keep going," she added.
"I hope I made Evonne proud" - Ashleigh Barty
The last Australian woman to be crowned champion at the All England Club was Evonne Goolagong Cawley, who lifted the Venus Rosewater Dish in 1971 and 1981. She later went on to mentor Ashleigh Barty, with whom she shares her indigenous Australian heritage.
In celebration of Goolagong Cawley's 50th anniversary of her first Wimbledon triumph, Barty wore a custom-made dress by FILA which had glimpses of her mentor's iconic scallop dress.
The World No. 1 ended her speech with a single yet heartfelt line:
"I hope I made Evonne proud."
Following her victory, Ashleigh Barty received numerous congratulatory messages from iconic tennis names including Australian legend Rod Laver and her predecessor Simona Halep.
