“There’s No Finish Until It is Finished”: Ashleigh Barty Reveals How She Lifts Her Game Under Pressure

Women’s World No.1 Ashleigh Barty has opened up on being the comeback queen and lifting her game every time she is pushed to a corner. The skill was yet again in evidence in the final at Stuttgart as the Australian rallied from a set down against World No.7 Aryna Sabalenka to clinch the claycourt title.

The 25-year-old fell to a 3-6 loss in the opening set but stormed back to win her third Tour title of the year. The eventual score-line read 3-6, 6-0, 6-3 in the Aussie’s favor.

Her remarkable strength of character and ability to turn matches on their heads also served her well in her title-winning run at Miami earlier this year.

Ashleigh Barty says it’s important to back one’s strengths and push the opponent at every point

To a question from WTA Insider on whether she puts special focus on crunch moments and elevates her level when the chips are down or plays those points as she would any other, Barty said it’s a “little bit of both”.

She added that while one must focus on her game and not the end result, one shouldn’t take her eye off the outcome entirely as it brings a certain level of motivation even when all seems lost.

“I think it’s important to not focus on the result or the scoreline, but I think in tennis it’s important to also take it into consideration,” Barty said.

She added that even when the score-line is not in one’s favor, it’s important not to lose trust in one’s ability to come back into the contest.

The Aussie said it’s not over till it’s over and one must push the opponent at every point, hoping that an odd stroke of luck would shift momentum and turn the tide.

“…no matter what the score is, you’re never out of the hunt. That’s a massive thing. There’s no timer counting down. There’s no finish until it is finished. So it’s important to keep giving yourself a chance, to keep turning up each and every point,” the 2019 French Open champion said.

Ashleigh Barty says she prefers to put herself in a position where she doesn’t have to come back from a set down to win

Barty said she would love to put herself in a position more often where she doesn’t have to fight back from a set down but the experience of doing so makes her stronger.

“To be learning from those experiences every time, learning more about myself as a tennis player and as a person every day is a pretty cool way to grow and to learn,” Barty said.

Read More: “Looking From Wider Lens”: Ashleigh Barty Reveals Tactics to Handle Pressure

Back-to-back claycourt titles at Charleston and Stuttgart have helped her set the tone for a season of dominance on soil this year.