Ipswich pays tribute to tennis trailblazer Ash Barty
25 March 2022
Three-time Grand Slam champion and Ipswich local Ash Barty has retired from competitive tennis and the Ipswich City Council on behalf of the community would like to pay tribute to her wonderful career and wish her all the best in the future.
Ipswich Mayor Teresa Harding said Barty will always be number one to Ipswich.
“Ash would like to spend more time at home here in Ipswich, and who could blame her,” Mayor Harding said.
“Her tennis achievements will be long remembered but what I think is really special about Ash is her down-to-earth personality.
“Ash is an amazing ambassador of this city and that won’t change.
“She has been on an incredible journey and the Ipswich community has been right there with her cheering her along.”
Council continues to field many suggestions about how the city can honour the homegrown champion here in Ipswich.
“Ash is a very humble person, and she has expressed her desire to keep things low-key and while no suggestions are off the table in the future, we are searching for something that Ash is comfortable with.
“Ash is another sporting great produced by Ipswich and has shown yet again why Ipswich’s reputation for producing some of the country’s best athletes continues to be well-earned.
“Ash is an inspiration to many, particularly a generation of young people and also Indigenous people as we lead up to the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
“Congratulations Ash, we can’t wait to see what you take on next.”