Australian Open 2022: Australian champion Ash Barty how then Covid won’t spoil grand slam dreams

A self-inflicted lockdown bubble has ensured Ashleigh Barty’s lifelong dream of winning the Australian Open is not derailed by Covid-19.

Separating herself from the outside world has paid off for the world number one on her way to winning her third Grand Slam title and her first at home.

With the hope of a nation on her shoulders, Barty didn’t drop a set throughout the entire tournament as she became the first Australian in 44 years to win a single title at the Grand slam.

As the Omicron outbreak swept through Australia with more than 100,000 daily infections, Barty took every precaution possible to prevent Covid-19 from sending her title hopes up in the air.

Newly crowned Australian Open champion Ash Barty has spent the past two weeks in a self-imposed lip-locking bubble with fiance Gary Kissick (pictured with)

She pulled out of the Sydney Tennis Classic at the last minute to focus on the Australian Open when she met fiance Garry Kissick and her mother Josie.

Barty, 25, has had little to do with the outside world, away from the Melbourne Park area for the past two weeks, apart from drinking a daily dose of caffeine.

‘We were quite careful. I was with Garry and my mom, and we were pretty much in lockdown,’ she told reporters on Sunday.

‘We’re not leaving. We’ll just go in the morning and go for takeaway coffee, we don’t go to any restaurants, we don’t hang out anywhere.

“Having been a recluse for two weeks, I have no problem with it.”

‘It’s been a pretty quiet fortnight just to eliminate the risk.’

Ash Barty (pictured with the Australian Open trophy on Sunday) has spent the past two weeks living a reclusive life to fulfill her Grand Slam dreams that have not been ruined by Covid

Barty revealed earlier in the tournament that she is living a reclusive life and that Covid protocols are not affecting her too much.

‘We come to practice and do what needs to be done. Otherwise, a good book and a coffee and I’ll enjoy,’ she said.

French tennis player Ugo Humbert and Belgian Alison Uytvanck both tested positive during the Australian Open while Aussie Nick Kyrgios braced for his preparations for the virus after the tournament.

German world number three Alexander Zverev revealed earlier in the tournament he was also living in a self-imposed bubble when he missed his lack of testing.

“We’re allowed to eat out, we’re allowed to do whatever we want, so I think it’s natural that more people come to Covid,” he said.

‘I understand that there are a lot of cases in Melbourne, in Australia. So I don’t do much outside, I haven’t been to any restaurants, I haven’t gone out.

‘I haven’t gone anywhere but hotel rooms and courts, so I’m making a bubble for myself, simply because I don’t want to take any risks and I want to give myself the best chance I can. to do here is this.’

Ash Barty celebrated a glass of champagne during her post-match press conference after shutting herself off from the outside world during the Australian Open

Barty enjoyed a beer during a live interview with Channel Nine commentators shortly after beating 27th American seed Danielle Collins in Saturday night’s final before enjoying a few quiet moments with Family and Friends.

‘From the very beginning, even all of our extended teams, we’re just trying to do the right thing like we’ve been doing for the last 18 months, two years, not being silly with it and not adding any risks. There is no need for a couple. in a few weeks,’ she said.

‘We can enjoy this, and now we can do what we want.’

Barty will be returning home to Queensland in the coming days, where calls are growing for a statue in Barty’s hometown of Ipswich in the west suburbs of Brisbane.

Several online petitions flooded with signatures while Ipswich City Council posted billboards around town within hours of Barty’s latest award.

As the Omicron epidemic broke out across the country, Ash Barty (right) closed in on an outside wedding with fiance Garry Kissick

Mayor Teresa Harding said: “It’s amazing how people talk about her being from Ipswich.

‘She’s from the suburbs of Springfield, so we wanted to be a part of it, too.’

Barty had the keys to Ipswich and had a tennis court named after her.

The council’s next plan is to hopefully build a statue in her honor.

Cr Harding said: “We are in discussions with Ash’s team about this.

‘The council is looking at ways we can celebrate Ash’s incredible achievements.

‘We’ve received a lot of great suggestions from the Ipswich community.’

Dozens of promotional posters (pictured) have been posted in Ipswich, Ash Barty .’s hometown