Heartwarming detail revealed as Ash Barty prepares to make a shock comeback to the court at Wimbledon
- Aussie tennis star retired in 2022 to start her family
- Served up numerous denials that she would come back to the sport
- Will make a one-off appearance at Wimbledon with an old friend
Former world No.1 Ash Barty will and reunite with her close friend and former doubles partner Casey Dellacqua when she makes her stunning return to the tennis court at Wimbledon next month.
The pair will participate in the legends' invitational doubles event.
Barty announced her return on Thursday morning, but it was not initially clear who her partner would be. The three-time grand slam champion has not played since her sudden retirement in March 2022.
Since retiring, Barty has married and become a mother to her son Hayden and her lone competitive sporting hitout was in the New Zealand Open pro-am event, where she tested her golfing skills
She will play in the exhibition match scheduled for Tuesday, July 9 (UK time). The event will feature women's doubles, men's doubles, and mixed doubles.
Barty previously won the French Open in 2019, becoming the first Australian woman in 46 years to do so. She claimed the Australian Open in 2022 and retired two months later as the reigning world No.1.
Ash Barty will reunite with former doubles partner Casey Dellacqua at Wimbledon
Barty will return to play at the venue where she tasted Grand Slam success for the first time since retiring in 2022
Barty and Dellacqua have a history of success together, having reached three grand slam finals, including the Wimbledon final in 2013.
'I can announce that the band's back together, ABCD,' Dellacqua said on AO Show Weekly, referring to their initials.
'This is why I love tennis, because it doesn't matter at what level, I get an opportunity to play with my best mate who, yes, is an extremely good player and has won the championships before.
'We're just gonna have a great time and enjoy just being back together as friends on a tennis court, which we have loved to do our whole life… I'm actually really excited about it.'
Barty shocked the tennis world in 2022 when she quit tennis to focus on becoming a parent to her son Hayden
Barty, pictured with her husband Garry Kissick, has knocked back several previous offers to return to the sport
Dellacqua added that both she and Barty are now in a different stage of their lives, having children and chatting about different things, but their love for tennis remains unchanged.
'The tennis is always there. And that's what kind of is the glue that brought us together. So we're really lucky,' she added.
In 2022, Dellacqua participated in the invitational event with fellow Aussie Alicia Molik. Barty, meanwhile, fulfilled her childhood dream by winning at the All England Club in 2021 but never defended her title after retiring post-Australian Open in 2022.
Barty gave birth to her son, Hayden, in July 2023. Shortly afterward, she shared images of herself on a tennis court but instead chose to participate in a pro-am golf tournament in New Zealand.
Barty and Dellacqua were both previously part of a strong Australian team that included Jarmila Gajdosova and Sam Stosur
During the summer, Barty made appearances around tennis tournaments as a spectator and also unveiled her foundation.
Despite this, she insisted she would not follow other moms like Naomi Osaka, Caroline Wozniacki, and Elina Svitolina in making a comeback.
'I miss parts of it, but mostly I miss seeing my mates,' she said of quitting the tour.
Wimbledon's legends tournament features a round-robin format with eight pairs across two groups. The top teams will progress to the final. Each pair is guaranteed £24,000 ($A45,800), with runners-up receiving an additional £4000 ($A7600) and the champions earning a total of £35,000 ($A64,800).
Additionally, Barty recently announced that she will be part of the BBC's TV commentary team for this year's Wimbledon tournament.
