Ashleigh Barty’s Son Steals the Show at Billie Jean King Cup
Ashleigh Barty, the former world No. 1 tennis player, has been delighting fans with adorable sightings of her nine-month-old son, Hayden. Despite her retirement from the WTA Tour, Barty remains a beloved figure in the tennis world.
On Saturday, Barty brought Hayden to watch Australia’s Billie Jean King Cup team defeat Mexico in Brisbane. The mother-son duo was spotted in a box with Barty’s former doubles partner and close friend Casey Dellacqua. Hayden’s ginger hair has grown significantly since his appearance at the Brisbane International tournament in January.
Barty’s personal history with the Billie Jean King Cup ended dramatically in 2019. France staged a remarkable comeback to defeat Australia 3-2 in Perth. Barty had hoped to cap off her extraordinary year, which included victories at the French Open and WTA Finals, by leading Australia to victory. However, she fell short in a third-set tiebreak to Kristina Mladenovic, and Mladenovic and Garcia went on to defeat Barty and Sam Stosur in the deciding doubles rubber.
Barty shed tears on the podium after Australia’s Cup drought, which dates back to 1974, continued. It remains one of the few unfulfilled goals in her illustrious career, which ended abruptly in 2022 at the age of 25.
Hayden will undoubtedly learn about his mother’s tennis achievements in the future. Barty has been publishing children’s books in retirement, including a series about a young athlete named Little Ash and a new release in March titled “My Dream for You.”