Typically humble, Ash Barty is crediting childhood coach Jim Joyce for helping her join tennis royalty's most exclusive club with a third grand slam crown on three different surfaces.
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Barty's hoodoo-busting and emotion-charged Australian Open final triumph over Danielle Collins has elevated the 25-year-old to the pantheon of all-time greats.
Among active players, only Barty and the sport's four 'GOATs' - greatest of all-time contenders - Serena Williams, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic have snared majors on clay, grass and hard courts.
Barty and Williams are the only two of that esteemed club to have won their first three slams on the three surfaces.
The only other players in history to have achieved the rare feat are legends Steffi Graf, Martina Navratilova, Chris Evert, Andre Agassi and Mats Wilander.
"I feel very humble to be in such a select group," Barty said in the jubilant aftermath to her 6-3 7-6 (7-2) win on Rod Laver Arena on Saturday night.
"To be honest, I don't really feel like I belong with those champions of our sport.
"There's still work to be done, without a doubt. I'm still very much learning and trying to refine my craft and trying to learn every single day to get better and better.
"It's amazing to be able to have this experience and this opportunity on three different surfaces and be really consistent across the board.
"Ultimately, that was one of the biggest challenges that Jim set out for me when I was young, to be a complete player and be really consistent across all surfaces and be able to play on all surfaces.
"So to have a grand slam title on each surface is pretty amazing. I never probably thought it would ever happen to me.
"So very, very lucky and very humbled and privileged to be able to be a part of it."
The 25-year-old said it was also "surreal" to follow in the footsteps of the country's legends who graced the courts before her to win grand slams.
"As Australians, we're extremely lucky to have the tennis history and the rich history that we do, particularly here at the Australian Open," Barty said.
"But across all grand slams, we've had champions that have stemmed back years and years and years and have really set the platform for us to come through and try and do what we do and try and create our own path."
Barty paid a special tribute to her Indigenous idol and mentor Evonne Goolagong Cawley and fellow Queenslanders Pat Rafter and Samantha Stosur for blazing a trail for her and teaching her how to conduct herself with such grace on court and off.
"There are a few that are closer to home for me, and obviously more of their stories I've been more invested in just because I know them more as a person," Barty said.
"Those people that come to mind, Pat Rafter and Evonne, in the way that they handled themselves on the court.
"For me, there's just no-one better. Recently you've had your Dylan (Alcotts), Sam (Stosurs), who are really able to just enjoy the experience and bring so many different people to tennis, bring so many different walks of life to this beautiful sport that we play.
"I'm a very, very small part of that.
"I'm still trying to figure out what I'm doing myself, but to be a very small part of an amazing history in tennis as an Australian is really, really neat."
Barty said being the player to break the country's 44-year Open singles title drought only made her Melbourne Park triumph even sweeter.
"It's absolutely incredible," she said.
"As Aussies, we're exceptionally lucky to be a grand slam nation. To get to experience to play at home is really special, and to be here as a champion of the tournament is really exciting.
"The expectation was that I would always come out and give my best, and that's all I've ever done.
"I have been close before, but I think now that we've been able to achieve this, you guys don't need to talk about it any more."
Australian Associated Press
