Ashleigh Barty leaves fans stunned by playing more than two sports well; watch video

World No.1 women's tennis player Ashleigh Barty continued her journey towards claiming her maiden Australian Open Championship when she overcame Polona Hercog 6-1, 6-4 on Wednesday to ease into the third round. The Australian is looking to become the first player to win a Grand Slam on home soil since Chris O’Neil did at Kooyong in 1978. However, Barty is known beyond the world of tennis as well, making her one of the most globally known names in sport.

Also Read: Ashleigh Barty Flaunts Cricket Skills Before WTA Finals Victory

Ashleigh Barty practices NFL style throws ahead of her doubles match 

On Thursday, Ashleigh Barty along with her German partner and veteran, Julia Goerges defeated Australian pair Jessica Moore and Astra Sharma 6-2, 6-3 under the roof at the Melbourne Arena and qualified for the next round of the Australian Open doubles category. Ahead of her first doubles match, Ashleigh Barty was seen practising an NFL style throw, a video of which was shared by the Australian Open on its Twitter handle.

Also Read: Ashleigh Barty Honoured By Ex-WBBL Club Brisbane Heat As Their 'No.1 Season Ticket Holder'

Australian Open: Ashleigh Barty pays post-match tribute to retiring compatriot Jessica Moore

Following a doubles victory over compatriot Jessica Moore, Ashleigh Barty in the post-match interview turned the limelight on Moore. While addressing the crowd, she said that a lot of people may not know that Jessica Moore is finishing up her career after the Australian Open. She also added that It was really exciting for her to be able to share this moment with Moore, who was her first partner when she came back a few years ago. 

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Jessica Morre, in reply, praised Ashleigh Barty and said that it was an absolute pleasure to share the court with her and obviously, she would prefer her as a partner. She further added that Barty is an unreal player and it is unbelievable to have someone like her to look up to.

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Big Bash: Ashleigh Barty honoured by ex-WBBL club Brisbane Heat

In November 2019, Ashleigh Barty paid a visit to watch one of Heat's matches. Barty was in the city to take part in the Brisbane International tournament. The star athlete was officially honoured with the team’s ‘Number One Ticket Holder' tag, which entitles her to attend all of Brisbane Heat’s men’s and women’s games all season long. She is one of the few sportspersons to have professionally played cricket as well as tennis.

Ashleigh Barty cricket career including BBL stint

The Australian tennis star signed up for Brisbane Heat to play in the inaugural Women's Big Bash League season in 2015. That very year, Barty also approached Queensland Cricket to inquire about making a switch to the sport. She then joined the Western Suburbs in the Brisbane Women's Premier Cricket competition and in her first T20 game itself, she scored 63 not out from 60 balls and took 2 for 13 from four overs. In her official WBBL debut for Heat, she had scored 39 off 27 balls.