Retired Tennis Star Ash Barty Makes Surprise Wimbledon Return for Exhibition Doubles Match

Former world No 1 Ash Barty, the three-time grand slam winner, is set to make a surprising return to Wimbledon, as organizers have announced her participation in an invitational doubles match during this year’s Championships.

This exhibition event will see Barty, who shocked the tennis world with her retirement in March 2022, alongside other former professionals on the court. The match is scheduled for the second Tuesday of play in south-west London, marking Barty’s first major event appearance since her departure from the sport.

Barty, who was the reigning Wimbledon and Australian Open champion at the time of her retirement, will return to the scene of her remarkable triumph at Wimbledon in 2021. The decision to retire came just weeks after she ended Australia’s 44-year singles title drought at the Melbourne grand slam, adding to her victories at the 2019 French Open and the 2021 Wimbledon titles.

Now 28 years old and a mother, Barty shared the news of her return on Thursday, quoting Wimbledon organizers who expressed their delight in having the 2021 singles champion back. Her memorable victory at Wimbledon in 2021 made her the first Australian woman to lift the Venus Rosewater Dish since Evonne Goolagong Cawley‘s wins in 1971 and 1980.

Following her retirement, Barty has explored other interests such as golf and participated in events like the New Zealand Open pro-am. In terms of the Wimbledon draw, only a limited number of Australian female players will automatically qualify due to ranking, with Daria Saville and Arina Rodionova securing their spots.

Ajla Tomljanovic, who recently reached the quarter-finals at the grass court event in Birmingham, is expected to enter the tournament using a protected ranking, while others are set to compete in the qualifying rounds to secure a spot in the prestigious grand slam event.