Former tennis star Ash Barty appeared at an event in New Zealand, proudly displaying her growing baby bump.
Barty made headlines when she decided to retire from tennis at the age of 28, shortly after winning the Australian Open. She has since been firm in her stance that she will not be making a comeback to the professional tennis circuit.
The tennis champion welcomed her first child, Hayden, with her husband Garry Kissick in July 2023. Recently, she announced on Christmas Day that she is expecting another baby.
On Sunday afternoon, the former world number one tennis player was spotted in a rare outing at Queenstown Airport.
Barty was pictured wheeling her luggage, while her husband Garry pushed their son Hayden in a stroller.
The three-time grand slam singles champ looked healthy and relaxed, wearing a blue Lorna Jane athletics t-shirt.
Ash Barty was pictured at Queenstown Airport with husband Garry and their son Hayden
Barty announced she was pregnant with her second child in December last year
The former tennis champion is attending the New Zealand Open golf tournament
It’s believed Barty is attending the New Zealand Open golf tournament – which she competed in last year.
Barty is an avid golfer who plays off a handicap of four and has won many tournaments over the years.
She also earned plaudits from golf legend Tiger Woods when she hit balls across the Yarra before the Presidents Cup in Melbourne in 2019.
‘She’s got a great swing. Are you kidding me?’ Woods said at the time.
However, she’s also proved highly skilled at cricket, playing for the Brisbane Heat in 2015-16 when she was taking a break from professional tennis.
Heat coach Andy Richards said, ‘Her skill from the first time she picked up a bat was outstanding … she never missed a ball in her first session.’
Barty smashed 39 from 27 balls for the Heat against the Melbourne Stars in the Women’s Big Bash League in a display that turned plenty of heads.
In January, Barty revealed that she’s terrified of having two young children at home.Â
The couple welcomed Hayden into the world just one year after they tied the knot
Barty told press last month that she is terrified of having two small children at home
Barty sensationally quit professional tennis at the peak of her powers following her watershed Australian Open win in January 2022
The Aussie sports star has ruled out a return to tennis
‘It’s been probably the best part of my life, being able to share this next chapter with my husband Garry, and we have no idea what we’re doing but he’s alive and he’s happy,’ she told the Herald Sun.
‘Terrified for what is going to come next but we’ll figure it out, I’m sure.’
Barty said it’s not in her nature to deal with ‘chaos’ but she hopes to make it work.
‘As an athlete I used to be the most meticulous, organised person and now it’s absolute carnage,’ she said.
The champ posted to Instagram on Christmas Day to share the jovial family news of her new arrival with her followers.
She posted a sweet picture of her son Hayden standing in front of their Christmas tree wearing a T-shirt with some telling words on.
It read: ‘I’m going to be a… big brother,’ as Ash revealed the exciting news in her adorable Christmas Day post.
Alongside the snap, she penned: ‘Merry Christmas from our growing family to yours!’
