SYDNEY– World number one Ashleigh Barty confirmed she will compete at the Tokyo Olympics Tuesday, headlining an 11-strong Australian tennis team for the Games that includes firebrand Nick Kyrgios.
Barty’s announcement comes just a day after four-time gold medallist Serena Williams revealed she would be skipping the Games, which will also be without Spanish great Rafael Nadal.
The 2019 French Open champion Barty, 25, said she intended to compete in both singles and doubles at the Games, adding “I can’t wait to be a part of it”.
“Competing in an Olympic Games is always a dream as young kids you aspire to,” she said according to AFP.
The Australia team comprises six men and five women, including former US Open champion Sam Stosur who will be going to her fifth Olympic Games at the age of 37.
“I think making your first Olympic team, particularly as an Australian, we have such a rich history and the Olympics is something I´ve always dreamt of and obviously super excited to get out there and represent the green and gold,” Barty said in a statement according to AP. “It´s a massive united team and I can´t wait to be a part of it.”
World number 15 Alex de Minaur is the top-ranked Australian man, with the volatile Kyrgios likely to be one of the highest profile male players in the draw, despite his modest ranking of 60.
Both will play singles with De Minaur also featuring in the doubles.
In contrast to veteran Stosur, Barty De Minaur and Kyrgios will all be making their Olympic debuts in Tokyo.
“It’s super special being able to represent your country in one Olympics let alone five,” said Stosur, who also competed at Athens 2004, Beijing 2008, London 2012 and Rio 2016.
Stosur and Barty are joined by Ajla Tomljanovic in the women’s singles, with Barty teaming up with Storm Sanders in the women’s doubles and Stosur with Ellen Perez.
John Millman and James Duckworth join Kyrgios and De Minaur, who won the Eastbourne International last week, in the men’s singles.
Millman will partner Luke Saville and John Peers will play with De Minaur in the men’s doubles.
The mixed double pairings will be announced on July 27.
Barty won the French Open and the season-ending WTA Finals in 2019 but missed most of the 2020 season after her semifinal loss at the Australian Open to stay at home during the pandemic.
She returned in time for the 2021 Australian Open, losing in the quarterfinals, and then retired from her second-round match at the French Open because of an injured left hip.
In Tokyo, she’s planning to play singles and partner Storm Sanders in the doubles competition.
“Any opportunity you get to wear the green and gold, I wanted to grab it with both hands,” she said.
“I´m fit, I´m healthy, I´m excited to play doubles with Storm, she´s a childhood friend of mine and we´ve played a lot together. So to be able to live out this dream with her is really, really special.”
