THE HIGHS AND LOWS OF AUSTRALIAN TENNIS IN 2019
BRILLIANT BARTY
As well as the world No.1 ranking, Ashleigh Barty captured hearts during a phenomenal season in which the 23-year-old became the country’s first French Open champion since Margaret Court in 1973. Barty won over the public with her sportsmanship and grace, not to mention her court craft. She collected titles on clay, grass, hard courts indoors and out, and banked a stunning $16 million in prize money, including $6.4 million – the biggest cheque in tennis history – for crowning her spectacular season with victory at the WTA Finals in China in November.
NAUGHTY NICK
Nick Kyrgios will enter the new year walking a tightrope after being hit with a 16-week suspended ban following two ATP investigations into his conduct in 2019. The hot-head first fell foul of officials for calling Irish umpire Fergus Murphy “a potato” and a “f***ing tool” during a spectacular tantrum at the Cincinnati Masters. He compounded his woes by claiming the ATP was “pretty corrupt” before apologising and being placed on probation for six months.
ALL HAIL ALEX
Irrepressible young gun Alex de Minaur continued his steady rise, cracking the world’s top 20 for the first time after bagging his first three ATP titles – in Sydney, Atlanta and Zhuhai – and finishing runner-up for the second straight year at the NextGen Finals in Milan. The 20-year-old also reached the second week of a grand slam for the first time in New York.
NO FED CUP FAIRYTALE
For all her successes, Barty’s season ended in tears after Australia fell agonisingly short of winning the Fed Cup for the first time in 45 years. Unbeaten in six singles rubbers while leading Alicia Molik’s team to a first final since 1993, Barty opened with a crushing 6-0 6-0 victory over Caroline Garcia only to lose her second singles match and then the deciding doubles with Samantha Stosur to French hero Kristina Mladenovic and Garcia. It was a cruel end to a memorable year for Barty.
DAVIS CUP DUD
After more than a century of home-and-away ties, the controversial new week-long Davis Cup finals in Madrid came under fire, with numerous fixtures finishing in the early hours of the morning. Rafael Nadal leading hosts Spain to glory was one of the few highlights as Canada knocked Australia out in the quarter-finals, leaving Lleyton Hewitt still chasing a Davis Cup crown as captain after winning two as a player.
AT A GLANCE
While Barty, de Minaur and Kyrgios hogged the headlines, Sydney sensation Chris O’Connell made a meteoric rise from No.1177 in the world at the start of 2019 to 119th in the rankings after a reaching an incredible 14 finals on the secondary Challenger and Futures tours. But long-time Australian former No.1 Bernard Tomic faces the indignity of having to qualify for his home slam next month after spiralling to No.185 in the world with just seven wins on the ATP Tour in 2019.