On July 10, 2021, Ashleigh Barty became the first Australian woman to win the Wimbledon singles title since Evonne Goolagong Cawley in 1980, defeating Karolina Pliskova 6-3, 6-7(4), 6-3 in a gripping final on Centre Court. The world No. 1, then 25, fulfilled a lifelong dream, having idolized Goolagong Cawley and wearing a dress inspired by her 1971 victory, per *BBC Sport*. Barty’s triumph marked her second Grand Slam title after the 2019 French Open, cementing her status as a versatile champion across surfaces, with 29 winners and a 71% first-serve win rate in the final, per *WTA Tennis*.
The match, lasting 1 hour and 55 minutes, saw Barty surge to a 4-0 lead in the first set, only for Pliskova, the No. 8 seed, to fight back, forcing a tiebreak in the second. Barty’s mental resilience shone in the decider, breaking Pliskova’s serve to secure the victory, per *The Guardian*. “It took me a long time to verbalize the fact that I wanted to dare to dream and say I wanted to win this incredible tournament,” Barty said post-match, dedicating the win to her mentor Goolagong Cawley, per *ABC News*. She earned £1.7 million, though taxes reduced her take-home, similar to Emma Raducanu’s 2025 experience, per *Hull Live*.
Barty’s 2021 Wimbledon run included wins over Carla Suarez Navarro, Anna Blinkova, Katerina Siniakova, and Angelique Kerber, showcasing her slice-heavy game and grass-court prowess, per *Tennis.com*. Her victory, celebrated on X by @Wimbledon as “history made” (@Wimbledon, July 10, 2021), inspired players like Raducanu, who reached the fourth round that year and later praised Barty’s humility, per *Express.co.uk*. Barty retired in 2022 at age 25, leaving a legacy as Australia’s pride, per *The Independent*.
