THE CHAMPIONSHIPS

July 8, 2021

Ashleigh Barty

Press Conference

A. BARTY/A. Kerber

6-3, 7-6

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. What a great, inspiring, wonderful match. Everyone back in Australia are excited you're in the final. Can you just tell me, having Garry around and also Craig there in your box, can you explain how important it is that they are in your team and what they bring to you and what confidence they give you.

ASHLEIGH BARTY: I have a very large team. I know not everyone is here with me this week. I've got obviously my family at home, I mean, trainers, physios back in Australia. I also have my trainer and physio this week as well as Tyz and Garry.

It's nice to be able to share some of these awesome moments with those that put so much time and energy into my career and allow me, encourage me, help me kind of work and figure out a plan and a way that they try and achieve our dreams. I think being able to share that with them is really special.

Q. When that last point was won, you had your hands on your head. What was that feeling specifically like? Could you believe that you had reached the Wimbledon final? Was it a goosebump moment?

ASHLEIGH BARTY: Yeah, it was incredible. It was just almost a moment of relief, a moment of pure excitement. It was something that I'd never, never knew if I would feel. I think being able to have an opportunity to play in a final here at Wimbledon is incredible.

That match was a great level, the best level I've played, in quite some time. I think Angie is an incredible competitor. She brought out the best in me today. I think being able to challenge myself against a champion like her, it was just nice to play a really good level throughout the whole match, kind of fought and scrapped when I had to, controlled the ball when I had to. But being able to have that feeling on the last point was amazing.

Q. In terms of bringing your best level on an occasion with so much at stake, what does that say about your mental game? Does that feel like something to be as proud of as the actual shots that you played?

ASHLEIGH BARTY: Yeah, I think it's all about the moment, it's all about taking it in, it's about enjoying it. I think when you're playing in a big match like that, of course there's a lot on the line. It's also very easy for me to fall back on the fact that this is a game of tennis.

There are obviously so many things that I do, and kind of I work so hard behind the scenes with my team to try to put myself in these moments, but it's also really important to enjoy the moments.

I think I was really able to enjoy myself today right from the start. I had a lot of fun. That was a focus of mine. I wanted to go out there and enjoy playing against Angie in such an incredible moment, and regardless of the result, walk off the court knowing that I enjoyed it, I had fun, and I kind of gave it a crack and gave it my all. That's all that I was going to ask of myself today. To be able to bring a level of tennis like I did was kind of the cherry on top.

Q. A lot of Australians love your relationship with Evonne Goolagong Cawley, the dress you've been wearing here, the history. Have you had any communication with her across the tournament, especially the further you're progressed, the closer you have got to breaking that long-standing Australian drought?

ASHLEIGH BARTY: I spoke to Evonne prior to the tournament and haven't been in contact with her since. I've just been kind of floating my way through and just kind of enjoying the opportunities I've had here this week.

It's a really special anniversary for Evonne. I couldn't be more proud to be in a position to wear an outfit inspired by her. Now to kind of give myself a chance to create some history almost in a way that's a tribute to her is really exciting. I couldn't be more rapt to have that opportunity on Saturday.

Q. You were talking on the court about this being a childhood dream. Can you remember how old you were when you first had that dream of playing in a Wimbledon final? What did the dream kind of look like back then?

ASHLEIGH BARTY: No, I mean, I couldn't really put an age on it. I think once you start playing more tennis when you're younger, start understanding what is in the world of tennis, I think you dare to dream.

When you're a kid, the possibilities in your mind are endless. I think as you kind of get older, get more experienced, obviously with that you know there's a lot more that comes with it. It's almost not just a pipe dream; it's kind of a reality. It could be a reality.

I think it's just about going out there and remembering how you felt as a kid, that there was the enjoyment, there was the freedom just to go out there and kind of try and do what you can.

Q. Perhaps a word not just on your life journey to get to a Wimbledon final but perhaps the journey in your time away this year with your injury troubles, whether you thought you would actually be able to get to this point.

ASHLEIGH BARTY: Yeah, I mean, I think we had 23 or 24 days in between finishing up in Paris and my first round here. To be honest, it was going to be touch-and-go. Everything had to be spot on to give myself a chance to play pain-free and to play knowing that I could trust my body.

I've said time and time again, I'm extremely fortunate to have my team around me. They're the best in the business. They've given me this opportunity to come out here and to play.

I'm pretty excited that I could repay them the favor in a way of giving us an opportunity as a collective, as a whole, to do something pretty special this week.

I think to know that my body's held up over a fortnight off a different preparation, it wasn't limited, but it was different, and being able to accept that, just know that I could trust everything that we've done to the best of our ability is incredible.

If you told me a month ago we'd be sitting in this position, I really wouldn't have thought that we would even get close. I think it's pretty special what we've been able to do the last month.

Q. I believe you've been talking about you've been doing extracurricular reading off-court. Would you mind telling us what you've been reading. Any kind of inspirational books? Escapism stuff to get your mind away from tennis?

ASHLEIGH BARTY: Just novels, just some fictional novels. Certainly nothing that's taxing. We've been commuting 45 minutes a day each way. I've just been reading. Certainly, yeah, nothing exciting really.

Q. I hope you don't mind, there were so many great shots and strategy, if I ask a fashion question. Because of the honor you're paying to Evonne Goolagong, was I mistaken today in not seeing the scalloped dress? If you weren't wearing it, will it come back for Saturday? Or perhaps my eyes are not good.

ASHLEIGH BARTY: No, I was wearing it. I mean, my version, my inspiration is a skirt and a shirt. But, no, I've worn it the whole tournament.

Q. A bit more about the fact that you're saying it's a dream come true. A lot of people sort of say that stuff. For you, when was a time in your career when you thought that maybe this was something you could achieve, getting to a Wimbledon final, being close to winning a Wimbledon title?

ASHLEIGH BARTY: I wasn't sure if it would ever happen honestly. I think you have to keep putting yourself in the position. I think Wimbledon for me has been an amazing place of learning. I think 10 years ago I came here for the first time as a junior and learned a lot in that week.

Probably 2018, 2019 was some of my toughest weeks playing. To come away with our losses in those two tournaments, I learned a hell of a lot from those two times.

I think a lot of the time your greatest growth comes from your darkest times. I think that's why this tournament has been so important to me. I've learned so much with all my experiences, the good, bad, everything in between I've been able to learn from.

Just to be able to keep chipping away, keep putting yourself out there, let yourself be vulnerable, just be yourself, knowing that everything that comes with that is an opportunity to learn. I think that's been a massive one for us this fortnight.

Q. In your previous semifinals, you were kind of the more experienced player. Here against Kerber, she's obviously won many slams, been No. 1. How different is that? I'd imagine you know she's going to bring a high level regardless because she's been there before.

ASHLEIGH BARTY: I think any match in a Grand Slam semifinal, you know it's going to have to be a very good level. It's no mistake that people keep working their way through the tournament. The latter stages of the tournament, you understand it's going to be a really tough match regardless of who you're playing and their experience level.

I think for me today it was about knowing that I could draw on my experiences from my two previous semis, and I think I was able to do that. But Angie is an incredible competitor. She's a great champion. I knew that I had to bring my very best level today to match it with her.

She's had success here at this tournament before. She really brought out the best in me today. I think being able to rise to that challenge and to that occasion was really exciting.

Q. You alluded to winning the juniors here in 2011. If you look back, now you made it to the same stage of the women's, what that run taught you and also didn't teach you about what it would take to make it the same distance in the draw?

ASHLEIGH BARTY: I'm certainly in a very different phase of my life now as to where I was 10 years ago. I think I've had some incredible moments over the last 10 years of my career. Had some really tough moments, as well.

Like I've said, I wouldn't change a thing. I have no regrets. I wouldn't change anything. No decision I made will I ever regret. I think I've learnt from everything. I've drawn from the experience of playing here in juniors. Each and every time I walk back to these courts, I have incredible memories that come flooding back.

I think each and every time you have the opportunity to play at Wimbledon, it's a feeling of gratitude and opportunity and excitement. I think having that feeling when I walk through the gates of the All England Club for the first time when I was 15, that feeling is still the same each and every day I walk through the gates now. That hasn't changed.

I think having that excitement about an event, having the pure enjoyment about an event, is what makes Wimbledon so special.

Q. I want to ask you something slightly different. Naomi Osaka has written quite an interesting essay for Time Magazine that circulates out tomorrow. She mentioned she'd be interested in players being given sick days effectively to allow them to do things like miss press conferences to bring tennis in line with the rest of society. You've spoken about this before but not quite in this specific idea. I wondered what your thoughts on it might be.

ASHLEIGH BARTY: I haven't seen the article, the essay, so it's impossible for me to comment on.

I think, yeah, I mean, I can't really answer that question. I haven't seen it. I don't know what you're talking about.

Q. Was there one specific thing which makes a difference at Wimbledon in terms of winning on these courts, which you have to switch on or which you discover over the years of playing here? Was there something like 2018, 2019, making fourth round, this year you get further. Is there something specific that changes that or is it just experience?

ASHLEIGH BARTY: It's growth, it's experience, it's a bit of everything. You also need a little bit of luck without a doubt. You need to be fit and healthy. I think probably the biggest thing on these courts is you need to have adaptability. The courts change dramatically from the start of the event to the end of the event.

Learning how to play and adjust the way you're playing as the grass changes is an important part. It gets quicker, it gets harder. I think being able to understand the differences in how the courts play as you move through is important.

It's also about keeping it simple. Just going out there and enjoying the opportunity.

Q. I wanted your mindset at 2-5 in the second set. A lot of people around the media seats, spectators, were talking about getting a round of Pimm's at the break at the change of the set. How did you dig in? An impressive three games you peeled off.

ASHLEIGH BARTY: Yeah, I had some opportunities in Angie's serve earlier in the set. She played an exceptional game. I think I had one game at 15-40 and she played a rally good run of three or four points. You tip your hat and move on.

I think each and every point it's important to try to execute as best you can, keep it simple. Really the scoreline for me today was irrelevant. Whether it was 3-Love up in the first or 5-3, 5-4 down in the second, it didn't come into my mind at all, honestly.

It was more about the process of trying to do the best that I could each and every point, play each and every point on its merits, and understand you're going to make some mistakes, she's going to come up with some really good stuff. You accept that, move on, continue to try to bring it back to the patterns we wanted to do today. I think I was able to do that when it counted the most.