MELBOURNE -- Iga Swiatek and Ashleigh Barty played each other only twice in their careers, but the former Australian No.1 left a lasting impression on Swiatek, both on and off the court. In fact, Swiatek credits Barty for making her into the No.1 player she is today. 

After winning her opening-round match at the Australian Open, Swiatek was asked on court about Barty's influence on her career. 

"It wasn't the only reason, but it was one of the reasons I later became World No.1," Swiatek said, "because I just felt I had more variety because I started practicing this stuff just to play against her, getting back slices and everything.

"I don't know if I would still be World No.1 if she was still playing but she was a huge inspiration."

Barty won all four sets the two played against each other, first on the clay in Madrid in 2021 and on the hard courts of Adelaide in 2022. Barty was also keen to practice with Swiatek, often giving her stick for the heavy tomes she was always reading. 

This week in Melbourne, Barty officially launched the Ash Barty Foundation to help inspire and provide more opportunities for young people in the areas of sport and education.

“The Ash Barty Foundation has been a dream of mine for a long time and to see it come to life is something I’m incredibly proud of,” Barty said.

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“The importance of helping others and giving back was instilled in me by my family, with mum and dad always leading by example. During my playing career, some of my best memories came from supporting and connecting with young people from different communities. There is nothing better than seeing kids smile, laugh and experience something new.”
 
“I am so fortunate to have had the platform and support that I do and now and see it as my responsibility to make a difference."

After winning her third major at the 2022 Australian Open, Barty abruptly announced her retirement in April of that year, making way for then-No.2 Swiatek to rise to No.1 for the first time. The news left Swiatek in tears at the time, but it also came in the midst of what would become the 37-match win streak that cemented her own position as the new dominant force at the top of the women's game. 

"Well, it was really annoying losing against her and playing against her," Swiatek said, "because you knew what she's going to play in terms of the tactics and the placement [but] she did it so well, there was nothing you could do. It really annoyed me. I wanted to get better, be able to be solid when she's playing her slices.

"Even though she wasn't the tallest one, she served really well and the placement was amazing. I knew that if I'm going to be working hard, it could be possible for me. So, yeah, she really motivated me. I never got to win against Ash."