AUSTRALIAN OPEN

February 9, 2021

Ashleigh Barty

Press Conference

A. BARTY/D. Kovinic

6-0, 6-0

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. How does it feel being out there on Rod Laver with fans tonight?

ASHLEIGH BARTY: Yeah, it was amazing. It sounded like there were a lot more people in there than I think actually were. Obviously a night session at Rod Laver Arena is really, really special. It was pretty nice to be out there today. Beautiful weather for it, and actually it made the night session, nice sky, just a really enjoyable one.

Q. Can you recall a better start, similar result to start a Grand Slam? Is that the best start you think you have had to a slam?

ASHLEIGH BARTY: Yeah, scoreline-wise, yes, but I think the processes and the things we go through before a match and trying to execute that, that's always a challenge. I felt like tonight I had that spot on, which was really pleasing, to be able to roll with the momentum throughout the whole match was really good.

Q. What do you get out of a match like tonight? You said you're pretty happy with the processes and those sorts of things. She was obviously not playing her best. But what did you get out of tonight?

ASHLEIGH BARTY: Yeah, that's the challenge for me is to almost win -- I wanted to go out there and almost take the sting, take the pepper out of the match a little bit and get it on my terms as much as possible right from the get-go and make it feel like she had a real mountain to climb. I think that was probably the most pleasing overall is that right from the start I set the tone and was able to run away with it.

Q. I don't think you lost a point in the first four games or so. Are you thinking, I should take a year off more often? Take a year off?

ASHLEIGH BARTY: No, I've had a couple cracks at that, but I certainly enjoy the year on more, more being able to challenge myself every day, that's for sure.

Q. Obviously won the title last week. The final Alicia Molik felt like that's the best she's seen you. Are you surprising yourself?

ASHLEIGH BARTY: Yes and no. I know deep down my team and I have done the work. We've earned the right to play at this level. And I think there's always a little bit of the unknown at the start of a season, particularly after such a long break, of what that level might be, knowing there's every chance it's not going to be exactly where we want it straightaway.

But that's the challenge, is coming out here every day and trying to bring my best stuff on that given day and I think knowing that we've done the work during preseason, done the work over the years, I feel comfortable in my own skin to go out there and find a way, whether the tennis is great or it's not, I know I've got other weapons that I can go to, not just hitting a tennis ball.

Q. Can you remember the last time you had a double bagel or if you have?

ASHLEIGH BARTY: Yeah, Fed Cup final, 2019. Yeah, that was a cracker.

Q. (Indiscernible.)

ASHLEIGH BARTY: No, it was good. Just different. And I think the end of a long year in 2019 it was trying to make that extra effort. Different situation now, but also trying to really kind of bring the intensity from the get-go.

Yeah, we still look at the match, we still chat about the match, and work on the little things that we always do, regardless if it's a win or a loss or what the scoreline is.

That's the good thing is we still come back to work tomorrow and we go again.

Q. What's the things you're noticing in your game even though you are playing so well, what's the next step? What do you still need to be doing?

ASHLEIGH BARTY: Everything. I want to challenge myself to be the complete player. I want to challenge myself to grow and develop every single day, both as a human and as a tennis player.

So I think, you know, regardless of what happens on any given night, we wake up the next day and go back to work and try and get better again.

Q. Is it a case of the question of where you can get better, it's not generally, but it's with each player that you come up against?

ASHLEIGH BARTY: I think there is a different challenge from every player, whether it be conditions, it could be surfaces, it could be the occasion. There's always a little bit of almost a uniqueness, I suppose, to every single match. That's what I love so much about this sport is that not every day is the same. Every single time you step on the court there is a different challenge.

Being able to rise to that occasion time and time again is what I enjoy the most, and that's kind of what I want to continue to try and do every single day.

Q. When you're in a situation, let's say, 6-Love, 4-Love, are you thinking, Let's just go for the double bagel?

ASHLEIGH BARTY: I'm not thinking about the double bagel at all until the end of the match and we have shaken hands. But it's more about continuing to do the things that have worked throughout the whole matches. Really trying to press the momentum. Get those first couple of points in every game, get the first point in each game, and really try and keep that roll going.

Q. Would you prefer to have been pushed more? Are you good with this?

ASHLEIGH BARTY: That's an impossible question (smiling). I think I'm obviously very pleased with how tonight went. But it's just a different -- it's a different challenge. Different game, different match each time you walk on the court.

So we will take a lot from tonight, but we take a lot from every match regardless whether that's a win or loss or what the scoreline may be. So I think, you know, obviously I tried to do the best that I could today to make her feel uncomfortable and I felt I got that pretty spot on.

Q. Have you looked ahead to see the two opponents you may have next?

ASHLEIGH BARTY: No, but Tyz did tell me, my team told me. They've got a late one. I think the boys are still going. Regardless of who wins that match, we will go to work tomorrow and start preparing and get ready for Wednesday.

Q. Tell us about your relationship with Dasha.

ASHLEIGH BARTY: Obviously Dasha and I, we've been Fed Cup teammates for a long time now. We know each other well. Tyz obviously coached Dasha for a couple of years, and, yeah, I mean, we spend a lot of time together.

So it will be a challenge if she gets through. I'll enjoy it. You know, I always enjoy testing myself against other Aussies. If she does get through, it will be a ripper.

Q. Do you keep an eye on the Osakas, the other top players, the Serenas, to see what sort of form they are in? Do you watch much tennis while playing a Grand Slam?

ASHLEIGH BARTY: Sometimes during the background but typically not a lot. Nothing that I can do from the couch that's going to change how they play.

I have zero control how they hit the tennis ball. Yeah, you can watch a little bit, but that's not really my thing.

Q. The past year when you weren't able to travel and were away from tennis, what are some of the things that really stood out to you when the tour returned? How much did you keep up on Iga's run in Paris, or Naomi's masks and making a statement? What are some of the things that stood out to you the most?

ASHLEIGH BARTY: I didn't keep up a lot with it in a tennis sense. I think for me it was more enjoying my time at home and being grateful and appreciative for what I have at home and really getting a lot of joy out of what I did have.

So in a sense of following the tour, there wasn't a lot. But obviously in the last few weeks since everyone has arrived to Australia, you know, I hit with Iga a few days ago, and it was brilliant. I have never hit with her before, so it was really enjoyable.

I think more than anything is you're seeing that the WTA, the women's game is getting so strong, the depth is incredible. You certainly can't underestimate anyone. So that's almost a part of the sport that I'm going to enjoy more and more as it goes on is that every single round is a challenge. Every single opponent deserves to be here and has the right to press you as much as possible.

Q. On the back of that, looking forward, what are some of the things that you maybe heard from the players that are the trickiest to deal with while competing in a pandemic? I know in Melbourne there are certain things, but in general the rest of the world is in a different state and there are tournaments where there will be strict protocols and things like that. Have any of the players spoken to you or just in general for you, have you kept up a bit on what would be the tricky part for you to compete in these conditions?

ASHLEIGH BARTY: Not really, to be honest. I think I'm just trying to, at the moment, just go with what we've got in Australia. Obviously this is a situation that we are in at the moment, and the rules and the guidelines that we are following that have been set out to keep us safe and to keep everyone else safe. So I think my role is to abide by those and do the best that I can in these conditions, and then for the rest of the year we will just wait and see.

I mean, it's hard to speculate. Everything can change so quickly, as we have seen over the last 12 months. There can be changes every single day. So at the moment it's hard to focus on that too much. It's more being in the present here, enjoying the opportunity that we have here in Australia, and then moving on to the rest of the season for whatever it may be.

Q. This sport has a tendency to have a bit of recency bias, whatever is the flavor of the month, the last winner, last major winner becomes the focus. For you, as someone who was out of the game for nearly a year coming back as the World No. 1, is there extra motivation at all to underline the fact that you are the World No. 1?

ASHLEIGH BARTY: Yeah, tricky one. In a way of intent, yes, but I feel like I want that intent every single time I walk on the tennis court. I want to be the best version of myself, and whether that's No. 1 in the world or it's No. 10 or whatever number that is. It's more about bringing out the best version of myself every single time.

It's been nice to be back. Certainly challenging myself and enjoying the fact that I'm in a position where I get to do something that I love and make a career out of it.

I think worrying about the ranking and focusing on the ranking isn't really in my mind, but having the intent to be the best version of myself every day certainly is.