Ash Barty rises to atmospheric heights after $10 million pay day
Aussie tennis legend Ash Barty is not only the top ranked player in women’s tennis but also the tour’s richest performer as she’s smashed through the $10 million prize money barrier for the season.
The lucrative Women’s Tennis Association finals has taken Barty’s on-court earnings for the year to a shocking $10.93 million.
This unprecedented windfall has doubled Barty’s entire career earnings in a single season. This is something that has never been seen in Australian sport.
The winnings might not be over if she beats Petra Kvitova on Thursday night to qualify for the semi-finals as she would be guaranteed at least $1.45 million for the week if she makes it into the last four.
If she wins the final, she could land a whopping $5.98 million on Sunday’s final.
Don’t feel too bad for Barty if she loses though, she’ll still leave China $890,000 better off.
All eyes are on Barty, with many thinking she’s going to beat Kvitova as she has done in their past two meetings this year.
“I’ve played Petra a number of times this year. Each match has been exceptionally tough. We’ve kind of split them a little bit,” Barty said to news.com.au. “Conditions are different here. Changes things a little bit.
“We’ll figure out a way we’ll nullify her strengths and get it back to my patterns as much as we can.”
If Barty beats Kvitova, she will either play titleholder Elina Svitolina, Wimbledon champion Simona Halep or Karolina Pliskova for a spot in the final.
Best luck to Barty in China!