Uploaded January 2022 | Updated September 2026, 4 days ago
As Ash Barty enters her third Grand Slam final and first on home soil against Danielle Collins on Saturday night, there is one number she is doing her level best to duck and avoid.
With the No.1 seed next to her name and as the reigning Wimbledon champion, the 25-year-old has heard the number 44 more times than she would care to remember this month.
That's how many years have passed since the last homegrown champion, Chris O'Neil, held an Australian Open singles trophy.
Barty stands on the precipice of erasing this from pub trivia once and for all should she land her fourth victory in five encounters with the fearless Collins before an expectant Rod Laver Arena crowd.
Local hopes are understandably high.
Barty has spent just six hours and six minutes on court and has conceded a miserly 21 games to a pair of Italians and a trio of Americans, including former world No.7 Madison Keys in a semifinal trouncing.
Only Serena Williams – 16 at the 2016 US Open – and Venus Williams – 20 at Wimbledon in 2009 – have dropped fewer games than Barty en route to a major final since 2000.
While the Queenslander cut a swathe through the top half of the draw, the 28-year-old Collins was at her imperious best, emerging from consecutive matches from a set down – against Clara Tauson and Elise Mertens – for the first time at a major.
She was merciless in straight-sets defeats of Alize Cornet and seventh seed Iga Swiatek to better her Australian Open semifinal finish from three years ago.
Barty stands to maintain her unblemished record in Slam finals and should she do so, would become only the second active woman after Serena Williams to win majors across three surfaces.
Past Grand Slam triumphs seep into the psyche as a reassurance that it can be done all over again, and the 25-year-old stands to repeat her defeats of four of the same seven women – including Collins – on the run to her maiden major at Roland Garros in 2019.
As Ash Barty enters her third Grand Slam final and first on home soil against Danielle Collins on Saturday night, there is one number she is doing her level best to duck and avoid.
With the No.1 seed next to her name and as the reigning Wimbledon champion, the 25-year-old has heard the number 44 more times than she would care to remember this month.
That's how many years have passed since the last homegrown champion, Chris O'Neil, held an Australian Open singles trophy.
Barty stands on the precipice of erasing this from pub trivia once and for all should she land her fourth victory in five encounters with the fearless Collins before an expectant Rod Laver Arena crowd.
Local hopes are understandably high.
Barty has spent just six hours and six minutes on court and has conceded a miserly 21 games to a pair of Italians and a trio of Americans, including former world No.7 Madison Keys in a semifinal trouncing.
Only Serena Williams – 16 at the 2016 US Open – and Venus Williams – 20 at Wimbledon in 2009 – have dropped fewer games than Barty en route to a major final since 2000.
While the Queenslander cut a swathe through the top half of the draw, the 28-year-old Collins was at her imperious best, emerging from consecutive matches from a set down – against Clara Tauson and Elise Mertens – for the first time at a major.
She was merciless in straight-sets defeats of Alize Cornet and seventh seed Iga Swiatek to better her Australian Open semifinal finish from three years ago.
Barty stands to maintain her unblemished record in Slam finals and should she do so, would become only the second active woman after Serena Williams to win majors across three surfaces.
Past Grand Slam triumphs seep into the psyche as a reassurance that it can be done all over again, and the 25-year-old stands to repeat her defeats of four of the same seven women – including Collins – on the run to her maiden major at Roland Garros in 2019.
