When Ash Barty defeated Alison Riske in a gritty fourth-round tussle at AO 2020, she accomplished something that no other Australian player had ever before managed.
She was the first to reach more than one Australian Open singles quarterfinal at Melbourne Park.
Perhaps this should not be surprising given that, throughout her flourishing career, Barty has a history of performing incredibly well on home soil.
The world No.1 has recorded several impressive AO-related statistics, and by advancing to the semifinals in 2020, she maintained another – that of never losing earlier than she did at the previous year’s tournament.
If this trend continues, Barty is assured another deep run in 2021. But given it will be almost a year since she played competitively, after COVID-19 upended the sport in 2020, is this too much to expect?
"She's probably unique in the sense that out of everyone on tour, she's had a break from tennis,” observed Australian Fed Cup captain Alicia Molik, referencing Barty’s tennis hiatus from 2014 to 2016.
“She knows what it's like to deal with time out of the sport and manage it, and pace herself, and not be frustrated, and be pretty realistic about things, and enjoy other aspects of her life.
“She's confident, she knows where and how she plays her best tennis. It doesn't take much for Ash to play really well.
“She's a true professional who understands her game intricately.”
Australian breakthrough
The Australian Open moved from Kooyong to its current location in 1988. In the 33 editions of the event at its new venue, 10 Aussies have reached the quarterfinal stage – with some of those players advancing even further.
But none of them, until Barty, did so more than once.
Barty beat Petra Kvitova – avenging her quarterfinal loss to the Czech in 2019 – at the same stage of the 2020 event to become the first Aussie woman to appear in an AO singles semifinal since Wendy Turnbull in 1984.
She came close to becoming the first local finalist since Turnbull in 1980, before eventual champion Sofia Kenin ended her run in two extremely tight sets.
Just over a month later, professional tennis was suspended in early March due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But when the sport resumed in August, Barty chose not to travel to the Northern Hemisphere.
Her last competitive outing came in the Doha semifinals on 29 February.
Home court advantage
Despite that semifinal loss to Kenin, the AO 2020 fortnight proved Barty could handle the considerable expectation and spotlight accompanying the country’s top player – who also happened to be the world No.1 and top seed – at their home Grand Slam.
She had already shown an ability to elevate her level in Australia by reaching back-to-back Sydney International finals in 2018 and 2019 and winning the Adelaide International title in 2020.
Her steady improvement at the Australian Open is another example.
After first-round exits from 2012 to 2014, she returned in 2017 following her break from tennis to reach the third round – a result she replicated in 2018 – before her 2019 quarterfinal and 2020 semifinal.
Her domestic profile exploded after she won Roland Garros in 2019; fans now keenly anticipate Barty ending the nation’s 43-year-long wait for a home-grown AO champion.
What pressure?
Ahead of the 2020 event, a reporter said, “I see your name in all the local papers. Your face is everywhere around the city”, before asking if she could deal with such pressure.
Barty answered that she did not feel any extra pressure. And retired Australian star Casey Dellacqua believes her.
"It doesn't matter if it's played in Australia, or Paris, she has the same approach,” said Dellacqua, Barty’s former doubles partner.
“She does all the work prior to the tournament, she works hard, she does what she needs to do, and then when she steps out on court, she has a plan.
“The reason why she's No.1 in the world is because she ticks every box prior to going into a tournament, and every single match.
“So sometimes that takes the pressure off.”
In February 2021, Barty will headline one of the most impressive AO women’s fields in memory, stacked with fellow young, recent major champions like Kenin, Naomi Osaka, Iga Swiatek and Bianca Andreescu, not to mention a seven-time champion in Serena Williams.
While this makes her path to the title all the more challenging, it would make a victory at her home Slam especially sweet.