Australian native and 25-year-old world No. 1 Ashleigh Barty won the Australian Open title on Saturday, defeating 27th-seeded American Danielle Collins in two sets, 6–3, 7–6 (2).
Barty fell behind 5–1 in the second set but rallied to win, ending a 44-year title drought for Australian women at the tournament. The victory caps a dominant run for Barty, who did not lose a set throughout the entire tournament.
It was the first Grand Slam final appearance for Collins in her career, and she played an incredible tournament after battling health issues for much of 2021.
But Saturday was about Barty.
Barty’s victory secured her third major title, after she previously captured the 2019 French Open and ’21 Wimbledon titles. She is now one win away from the career slam, and will make her first attempt at completing the illustrious honor at this summer’s U.S. Open.
Barty’s victory also made Australian Open history, as it marked the first time an Australian female has won the home major title since Chris O’Neil in 1978.
This came on the heels of Barty’s historic 6–1, 6–3 semifinal victory over Madison Keys, which marked the first time an Australian woman had reached the final at the Australian Open in 42 years.
