Ash Barty wins Australia’s celebrated Don Award for second time

The former world No 1, who retired in March, won the prestigious Don Award, named after the legendary cricketer Don Bradman

AI / Reuters / Panoramic

Simon Cambers

December 10, 2022

Ash Barty may have retired in March but the Australian continues to add awards to her collection.

The former world No 1 picked up the prestigious Sport Australia Hall of Fame Don Award, named after the legendary former Australia cricketer Don Bradman, at a celebration on Thursday evening, as reported by the Associated Press.

The accolades keep coming for @ashbarty. For winning the Australian Open before retiring this year. Barty received her second Don Award, from the Sport Australia Hall of Fame. https://t.co/OF81oZFF1j #AshBarty #7NEWS pic.twitter.com/5OYrPCBrU6
— 7NEWS Sydney (@7NewsSydney) December 9, 2022

The 26-year-old Australian won the award, less than nine months since her shock retirement from the tennis world, having won the Australian Open at the start of 2022 for her third Grand Slam title.

The former Wimbledon and French Open champion was ranked world No 1 when she made the announcement in March.

“This year was certainly my most enjoyable Australian Open… because it felt free,” Barty said in a TV interview. “I played without consequence, I played like a little kid. In my eyes, there was no pressure. It was just about me trying to redeem myself, in a way, and playing how I’d always wanted to play – go out there and play like the kid that fell in love with sport.”

Barty won the award for the second time, having also won it in 2019, when she won her first Grand Slam title at Roland-Garros.