THE CHAMPIONSHIPS

June 29, 2021

Ashleigh Barty

Press Conference

A. BARTY/C. Suarez Navarro

6-1, 6-7, 6-1

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Your thoughts on today's match. How concerned did you get serving for the match and Carla broke you, you ended up in a final set?

ASHLEIGH BARTY: Yeah, no concern. I think more than anything it was a great battle. I mean, in the game where I was trying to serve out the match, I just missed a few too many first serves and Carla was able to take the game on and hit some incredible returns. I think we just kind of accepted that and moved on.

Again, she played a great tiebreak. She's a hell of a competitor, a hell of a fighter. It was a privilege to be able to share that moment, share that court with her. I hadn't had the opportunity to play Carla. It was really special to be able to experience what she can bring from the other side of the court.

I think all credit goes to her for her resilience and her nature as a competitor, to be able to come back from the adversity that she has, and to be able to have that moment with her was nothing shy of remarkable.

Q. On that point, you exchanged words at the end. It was very nice of you, as would be expected, the way you applauded her off the court.

ASHLEIGH BARTY: She deserves nothing but the best. I just said to her, It was a pleasure to share the court with you.

She's an exceptional person, a great fighter, a great competitor, and very well-loved and respected in the locker room. She's going to be sorely missed. I wanted to give her the appreciation that she thoroughly deserves. The crowd was exceptional. They gave her a remarkable reception as well as she's walking off the court.

I kind of didn't know what else to do. I wanted to give her a hug, just say congratulations on an exceptional, remarkable career. I know she's still got a little bit to go, and I wish her all the very best.

Q. Can you just describe what the atmosphere was like on Centre Court. If you can elaborate on the bubble, a couple of players have been commenting about how tough they're finding being in that bubble. What is your experience?

ASHLEIGH BARTY: The bubble is all worth it to be able to experience moments like today on a beautiful Centre Court. My first time playing under the Centre Court roof as well. When it was closing, Carla and I both were kind of looking, peaking outside and looking at it. It was just unbelievable.

Obviously to play on Centre Court today, to play my first round on there against Carla, was awesome. The bubbles are worth it. It's what we have to do to be able to experience this tournament.

To be able to play here, you do absolutely anything. You bend over backwards to make sure you can prepare yourself in a way that you can experience Wimbledon, play at Wimbledon.

The bubble for me, certainly no issue at all.

Q. At Roland Garros, Sloane Stephens, when she played Carla, talked about the mental equation of playing Carla under these circumstances at this point in her career. Did you find that had any kind of mental hurdle today?

ASHLEIGH BARTY: It was a privilege more than anything to be able to share the court with Carla. Particularly today to have fans was really special. To be able to play on Centre Court with fans, the roof closed, it was just kind of one of those moments that you'll never forget.

I think for Carla to be able to experience that reception as she walked off the court is awesome. It's exactly what she deserved. To be able to share that with her was really cool.

Q. It's been a while since you played on grass. In a weird way, you're moving forward in this tournament, and you get a bit more time on grass, moving into the next stage?

ASHLEIGH BARTY: Yeah, it has been a while. It kind of felt like it hasn't been so long, though. Grass court tennis has always felt like it's come quite naturally to me. It's just about trying to go out there and play the best that I can on that day.

I thought at times today I served well, was able to control the court. For all but one little hiccup, serving for the match, it was really good. I mean, we obviously go back and debrief and go through and think of ways that we can improve and be better, what we've learnt from that match.

To be able to run away with that third set in the end, kind of get off the court pretty quickly, was really nice.

Q. In terms of the anticipation for this opening match, I was wondering if you could kind of dive into that. What was it like to get ready for it? Did you just want to get your tournament started? What was the mentality?

ASHLEIGH BARTY: Pure excitement. I think there was a little bit of nervousness, probably not knowing exactly how my body was going to feel genuinely. I know that I had full trust that we'd done absolutely everything that we could.

Yeah, you just never know. To be able to go out there today and play the way that I did was really nice. Overall it was just a really solid match to start things off. I think it was just an opportunity to go out there and test myself against someone who has proven it over a massively successful, long career, that you have to compete the very best to be able to match it with Carla. I felt like I was able to go to that level today and to be able to match it with her.

Overall happy to get a start here at Wimbledon, play that really solid match, and now we kind of feel like we just keep working our way through the tournament as best that we can each and every day.

Q. The Australian Olympic Committee named the tennis team for Tokyo. Congratulations. I'm wondering what you feel about that, what your preparation will be after Wimbledon leading into Tokyo?

ASHLEIGH BARTY: I'm proud. I'm bloody proud to be able to be a part of an Australian Olympic team. It was always a dream of mine. To be able to be officially named is awesome.

I've spoken to a lot of players, tennis players, about their experiences in the Olympics, I think Alicia and Casey probably the most. And to be able to hear nothing but positivity, I just wanted to grab that opportunity. It's my first time. I can't wait to get to Tokyo and start preparing.

Like every other person on our Australian Olympic team, I think there's 480-odd of us, go out there, do Aussies proud, fight as one and be really united.

Q. Continuing on the Olympics, it's the strongest Team Australia has ever put together with 11 of you going. There's that part. Also the part that you're also going to be the first indigenous player to be part of the Australian tennis team at the Olympics. That's no doubt extra pride.

ASHLEIGH BARTY: Yeah, it is. I know that we've got a really good group, big group, of Australian indigenous athletes in our team. I know for me it's a first for tennis, but there have certainly been a lot of Olympic athletes that have paved the way for me in an indigenous sense, kind of showing me there is a pathway, that it is possible.

I hope that all of us as one, we're all united as one in our Australian Olympic team, that we can pave the path for next generations coming through. That's a really important part of that Olympic spirit, is knowing that you're in the fight, you're in the game. We fought, like Aussies do, and you never know what can happen.

Q. What would be the aspect of the Olympics that you're looking forward to the most?

ASHLEIGH BARTY: I'll have to tell you when I get there. Any time you get to represent Australia and wear the green and gold, obviously I just love it. I really, really love it. I think I've had a bit of a taste of it at Fed Cup. The Olympics obviously has so much history. For Aussies in particular, we have such a rich history in our Australian Olympians doing exceptionally well.

I hope that this team, not just the tennis team, but all of us can do Aussies proud at home. This unique Olympic Games will hopefully be as successful as ever.