Who is Ash Barty?
Ashleigh “Ash” Barty is an Australian athlete, who's played cricket and golf but is now world-famous as one of the best tennis players in the game.
Ash Barty was born on April 24, 1996, making her just 25 years old. She's a proud Ngaragu woman and is currently the National Indigenous Tennis Ambassador for Tennis Australia.
In 2017, 2018 and 2019, she won the Female Sportsperson of the Year at the National Dreamtime Awards.
Her career highlights include an early win at the 2011 Wimbledon tournament (where she won the Girls' Singles title at the age of 15), an appearance at the 2014 Australian Open finals (which made her the youngest Grand Slam finalist in a decade), and her first WTA title in 2017 (which launched her into the top 17).
But one of her biggest career achievements to date is her victory at the French Open in 2019, where she became the first Australian to win the Singles tournament since 1973.
This win also granted her the title of "No. 1 ranked player in the world," only the second Australian in the WTA singles rankings to do so. In 2021, she cemented that ranking when she won the Wimbledon Ladies' Single Title.
In January 2022 she'll take to the court in Melbourne, competing to win the Australian Open.
Who is Garry Kissick?
Garry Kissick is a 30-year-old golf player and PGA Trainee Professional at the Brookwater Golf & Country Club in Brisbane.
According to his LinkedIn he started out at the club more than a decade ago in golf operations and maintenance, but slowly worked his way up the corporate ladder to become PGA Trainee Professional in 2018 - a position he still holds today.
How long have Ash Barty and Garry Kissick been dating?
The happy couple has been going strong for a few years, after initially meeting in 2016 at the Brookwater Golf Club where Kissick works.
The tennis player was at the greens to play a round of golf, but little did she know her life would never be the same again. Barty and Kissick immediately clicked and began dating.
In a new interview with Vogue, Barty reveals Kissick "didn't know a lot" about tennis when they began dating but has quickly become accustomed to the touring lifestyle.
"He’s kind of been thrown in the very deep end in understanding what the tour is like and how much we’re apart," she tells the publication. "But he’s the best person to have around in the sense of switching off from tennis and being able to bring the fun and laughter when we are training and not be so serious all the time. I certainly wouldn’t want to share this journey with anyone else.”
After meeting in 2016, the couple didn't make their relationship public until the following year. They made their red carpet debut as a couple when Barty brought Kissick as her date to the John Newcombe Awards in 2017, where she received Australian tennis' highest honour.
One of Barty's first Instagram posts about their relationship was a shot from an A-League game at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane in October of that same year (pictured above).
Are Ash Barty and Garry Kissick married?
Barty and Kissick aren't married just yet - but have just confirmed their engagement in a sweet Instagram post on November 23, 2021, revealing he popped the question on November 15.
"Garry and I have been together for a long time now and I had designed the ring with him," she revealed in an interview with the Courier Mail after her engagement.
"We are obviously excited now for the next chapter. We were at home on the couch with the puppies. It was very much just us. It was perfect for us. Everyone has their unique way of doing it."
Do they have any pet names for each other?
Barty has referred to Kissick as her "cheeky and caring handsome boy," while Kissick affectionately calls the tennis player "baby."
A person close to the couple also revealed that they're pretty down-to-earth and supportive of each other despite her fame, calling them “the most normal couple you’ll find at that level in tennis.”
Where do Ash Barty and Garry Kissick live?
Barty travels a lot for her career, so she’s often seen jetting around to other countries. But when she has time between tournaments, she comes back to her hometown in Ipswich where they live with their trio of cute dogs.
In her Vogue interview, Barty said she's the best version of herself when she gets to spend time at home with Kissick.
"It feels normal, which is really heartwarming, knowing no matter where you go or what you do, home is where the heart is. Once you do get here, I am just the best version of myself again."
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