Who is Ash Barty?
Ashleigh “Ash” Barty is an Australian athlete. She used to play cricket but is now known worldwide as one of the best female tennis players in the game.
Her biggest 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 her biggest career achievement to date is her victory at the recent French Open last year, where she became the first Australian since 1973 to win the singles tournament. 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.
Ash Barty was born on April 24, 1996, making her just 26 years old. She proud Ngaragu woman from southern NSW and north-eastern Victoria 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.
Who is Gary 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 almost a decade and a half ago in golf operations but slowly worked his way up the corporate ladder to become the irrigation technician for the greens.
Then, in 2019, he joined the PGA Trainee Program to further his professional golf career. He is currently in his second year of the three-year full-time program.
How long have Ash Barty and Gary Kissick been dating?
As of writing, the happy couple has been going strong for a few years. The pair initially met 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 that her life would never be the same again.
Barty and Kissick immediately clicked and began dating. But their relationship didn’t go public until 2017, when Ash brought Gary as her date to the John Newcombe Awards (where she received Australian tennis’ highest honour).
Do Ash and Gary have any pet names for each other?
Ash has referred to Gary as her “cheeky and caring handsome boy”, while Gary affectionately calls the tennis player “baby”.
A person close to the couple also revealed that Ash and Barty are pretty down-to-earth and supportive of each other, despite Barty’s fame, calling them “the most normal couple you’ll find at that level in tennis.”
Are Ash Barty and Gary Kissick married?
Ash Barty and Gary Kissick aren't married yet, although sources differ on whether or not the couple is already engaged.
If they secretly are, however, Barty has yet to sport the engagement ring. While she wears a simple band on her left middle finger, her ring finger doesn’t have any bling just yet.
Where do Ash Barty and Gary Kissick live?
Ash Barty travels a lot for her career, so she’s often seen jetting around other countries. But when she has time between tournaments, she comes back to her hometown in Ipswich. Her boyfriend Gary Kissick also lives in Queensland, although it’s unclear if he lives with Barty.
Ash And Gary: A Social Media Relationship Timeline
Although Ash Barty posts more about her matches than she does about her boyfriend, fans of the couple are still treated to the occasional shoutout and sweet photo. Here’s a short timeline of the Ash-Gary relationship, as told by their Instagram posts.
October 22, 2017
This touristy shot in Singapore is one of the couple’s first Instagram photos together.
February 4, 2018
Ash and Gary chilling on the grass for Australian music festival RNB Vine Days.
July 1, 2018
Ash captioned this adorable photo with “my perfect Wimbledon ballboy.” Gary reposted it less than a year later for Ash’s birthday, calling her “the best person I’ve ever met!”
November 18, 2018
In November of that year, Barty returned the favour and posted this cute birthday greeting: "Wishing the happiest of birthdays to this handsome boy 😘 Thank you for being your cheeky and caring self every single day."
June 9, 2019
Kissick made the news for his super sweet shout-out to Ash, who had just bagged another title at the French Open.
November 13, 2019
Gary posted this adorable selfie of the pair, taken on holiday in Hamilton Island. He captioned it: "👨👩❤"
January 19, 2020
Always the supportive partner, Gary shared a snap of Ash with her winner's trophy from the Adelaide International, writing "Another amazing moment @ashbarty❤🏆" Too cute!
February 14, 2021
In the midst of Ash's participation at the 2021 Australian Open, Gary shared pictures of the couple watching tennis player, Olivia Gadecki,.
"Cute valentines date watching @oliviagadecki kill it! 🎾 Happy Valentine's Day @ashbarty ❤❤ #maskszn," he captioned the snap.
