Ash Barty's amazing baby news sparks fresh calls for tennis comeback

Retired Aussie tennis legend Ash Barty and her husband Garry Kissick are celebrating the birth of their first child after sharing the first picture of their "beautiful boy" named Hayden. The wonderful news has sparked tributes from friends, family and fans all around the world, an even calls for a comeback from former rival, Ons Jabeur.

Barty and her husband shared their incredible news with a post of baby Hayden on Instagram along with the caption: "Welcome to the world, Hayden!," accompanied by a picture of the new arrival wrapped in a blanket. The amazing news was greeted with excitement and joy at Wimbledon, where the three-time grand slam champion had been feted just two years and one day previously, after achieving her dream of winning the singles title at the All England Club.

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Fans celebrate arrival of Ash Barty's baby boy

Craig Tiley, CEO of Tennis Australia, led the wave of congratulations from within the sport for the popular Barty, calling it "wonderful news". Matildas captain Sam Kerr commented offered “Congrats”, while Barty’s former doubles partner Storm Hunter reacted to the news with love eyes emojis.

Even Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk offered her well wishes to the proud new parents, posting: "Congrats to @ashbarty and partner Garry on welcoming their beautiful baby boy Hayden!" Unsurprisingly, the baby announcement prompted an outpouring of love for the popular champion from all around the world.

Ons Jabeur wants Ash Barty to return to tennis

While most around the world were just simply happy for Barty and her husband to enjoy the arrival of their first child, Barty's former rival Jabeur was already hoping that the Aussie might return to the sport as a mum in the near future - much like mother-of-two Caroline Wozniacki has just done. Jabeur said recently that Barty would have won 20 grand slams if she had continued her career, and although thrilled for the new mum and dad, said she wanted the Aussie to return to tennis at some stage.

"Fantastic news. I'm very happy for her that she had a baby boy. I'm very happy for her because this is something that I want to have, a family," Jabeur said after her first round victory over Poland's Magdalena Frech. "I'm sure she's enjoying being a mum right now rather than being on a tennis court waiting to play at Wimbledon.

"I hope that she will change her mind like Wozniacki and comes back maybe in one or two years," Jabeur added. Last year, Barty caused a sensation by announcing her retirement from the sport in March less than two months after she'd won the Australian Open in Melbourne.

That victory broke a 44-year drought for Australian women players, with Barty bowing out of the sport while she was a dominant figure at the top of the game. Barty then got married to Kissick in July last year in Queensland, and in January announced her pregnancy, declaring: "2023 set to be the best year yet."

Since her retirement as World No.1, there has been speculation over whether Barty, now 27, might make a tennis comeback at some point. If she did, Barty would join an illustrious list of champion tennis mums that includes Kim Clijsters, Serena Williams, Victoria Azarenka and Barty's own heroine, Evonne Goolagong-Cawley, who became the first mother to win the Wimbledon singles for 66 years back in 1980.

When asked about the prospect of one day returning to the sport herself, Barty said after her retirement: "I'd say you never say never. I'd say the door is closed, but it's not padlocked. I'm never one to absolutely say never, never, never. But, yeah, it feels like it's closed."

with agencies

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