Aussie tennis great Ash Barty is seen showing off her growing baby bump three months after announcing pregnancy news that thrilled her fans
- Ash Barty spotted at the airport with a growing baby bump
- Barty travels to Newcastle to launch the Indigenous event
- She delighted fans with her pregnancy announcement in January
Retired tennis star Ash Barty has been spotted sporting her growing baby bump after wowing sports fans earlier this year with the news that she is expecting her first child with husband Garry Kissick.
The 26-year-old grand slam champion was dressed comfortably in a T-shirt that showed off her bloating belly as she walked through Brisbane Airport on Thursday morning.
Along with her luggage, Barty was also seen with Sarah Bailey’s Australian murder mystery novel Into the Night.
The former world number 1 was on his way to Newcastle to launch the 2023 National Indigenous Tennis Carnival, which will take place from August 10-13.
The carnival is the top event for First Nations youth across Australia, and Barty was joined in the announcement by proud Yuin nation woman Kyah Jones.
Barty was spotted at Brisbane Airport months after announcing she is expecting her first child with husband Garry Kissick
The 26-year-old grand slam champion was comfortably dressed as she made her way through the terminal with a popular Australian crime book in her hand
Barty announced the happy news of her pregnancy on Instagram in January by sharing a photo of her Border Collie sitting next to a pair of baby shoes.
2023 will be the best year yet. We are so excited for our new adventure,” she wrote.
The baby news was greeted with joy by her sports friends, including runner Nedd Brockmann and tennis stars Johanna Konta and Priscilla Hon.
The official accounts of the Australian Open, Tennis Australia and the Women’s Tennis Association have also responded to the post.
The Wimbledon, French Open and Australian Open champion met Kissick in 2016 at Brooklands Golf Club in Queensland during a round on the links, and they’ve been together ever since.
Despite being one of the best tennis players in the world, Ash offers little insight into her life outside of the sport – which she retired from last year at the age of 26.
Known to be famously private about her personal life and relationship, she opened up about Kissick in an interview with Vogue.
“He’s extremely patient with me, and when we met he didn’t know much about tennis,” said Ash.
Barty announced the happy news of her pregnancy on Instagram in January by sharing a photo of her Border Collie sitting next to a pair of baby shoes
The Wimbledon, French Open and Australian Open champion met Kissick in 2016 at Brooklands Golf Club in Queensland during a round on the links, and they’ve been together ever since
Kissick was by Barty’s side throughout her tennis career and was one of the first people she hugged after winning Wimbledon.
“He’s kind of thrown in at the deep end to understand what the tour is like and how much we’re apart… [But] he is the best person to have around in terms of quitting tennis and being able to bring fun and laughter.
“I certainly wouldn’t want to share this journey with anyone else.”
Kissick had been by Barty’s side throughout her tennis career and was one of the first people she hugged after winning Wimbledon.
The three-time Grand Slam winner stunned the world when she announced her retirement from tennis last March.
Barty has been busy so far in 2023 in her role as Chief of Inspiration at Optus, performing at the Australian Open and the Australian Grand Prix.
She also writes a number of books and does community work in her role as National Indigenous Tennis Ambassador.