Ash Barty accepts Wimbledon invite, will play the legend’s invitation doubles

Wimbledon singles champion Ash Barty will return to the All England Club for the first time since her 2021 win. 

Visitors to Wimbledon 2024 will have another reason to visit the grass-court tournament. Former World No. #1 Ashleigh Barty has accepted the invite from Wimbledon organisers to play in the legend’s invitation doubles draw. Barty will be teaming up with fellow and former doubles partner Australian Casey Dellacqua.

Barty and Dellacqua have won five doubles titles on the WTA Tour between 2013 and 2017. They also reached all of the four Grand Slam finals together. Dellacqua, now 39, last played competitive tennis in 2018.  Casey Dellacqua currently works with Australia’s Channel Nine as a commentator. Dellacqua was ranked as high as World No. #3 in doubles and rose to a career-best ranking of No. #26 in singles.

Barty followed four years later, in March 2022, after winning the Australian Open. She was the first homegrown champion to lift the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Trophy in 44 years since Chris O’Neil in 1978. Ash Barty was the World No.1 for 121 weeks before retiring. She won three Grand Slam titles in all, Roland Garros in 2019, Wimbledon in 2021, and the Australian Open in 2022.

When Barty lifted the 2021 Wimbledon trophy, she became the first Australian woman to do so since Evonne Goolagong in 1980. 

ALSO READ: Top five greatest achievements in the career of Ashleigh Barty

Ash Barty is Tennis Australia’s Indigenous Tennis Ambassador and actively promotes tennis among the country’s indigenous population. The former world No. #1 launched her charity foundation during the 2024 Australian Open fortnight.

The Ash Barty Foundation aims to support young Australians to get ahead in sport and education. The foundation broke ground with an event at the Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club in January this year.

The Wimbledon 2024 main draw begins July 1st, with the invitation events set for July 9. Barty will be taking on another role when the 28-year-old joins the BBC commentary team at Wimbledon. Giving her company in the commentary box will be compatriots Pat Cash and Todd Woodbridge.

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