Chen Xiaochun

654789759@qq.com

NO. 1 seed Ashleigh Barty, who lifted the trophy at the WTA Finals after overcoming defending champion Elina Svitolina at Shenzhen Sports Bay Center on Sunday night, told the Shenzhen Daily during an exclusive interview that Shenzhen holds a special place in her heart and she looks forward to coming back over the next nine years.

“It has been incredible to come to a new city in Shenzhen. It’s my first time here. Now, it holds a very special place in my heart. It’s been incredible to play here in front of the fans. We have been very well looked after. We have all felt very welcome. To me, it’s quite a brand new memory. Hopefully I can come back in the next year and over the next nine years where this beautiful event will be held here in Shenzhen. I hope I can come back and try to do the best I can each time,” said Barty.

During the press conference, Barty was asked to describe her feelings and she said: “Bizarre, if I’m being completely honest. It feels like it’s been a year that just hasn’t stopped. It’s been a year of incredible ups and downs; I think more ups than downs. To cap it off with a very, very special night tonight in Shenzhen is really cool.”

To Barty, the audience in Shenzhen was fantastic. “It was a great crowd of fans in front of us. The crowd here was so enthusiastic. Regardless of which part they were cheering for, it’s very nice to play in front of a full crowd.”

Barty’s winning check of US$4.42 million is the biggest ever in men’s or women’s professional tennis.

Responding to the question regarding whether she would buy herself some special prize after bringing home the large sum of prize money, Barty said she’s pretty boring and doesn’t really spend a lot on herself.

“I like to obviously spoil my family. I’m in a position where I can spoil my niece and nephew. But I’m certainly not one that lives an extravagant lifestyle. I’m pretty happy in my little house at home. I’ve got everything that I need.”

Barty told the press conference that she tries and works hard every single day to chase her dreams. “Regardless of how many zeros are sitting in my bank account, it doesn’t change the way I live my life, who I am and how I live as a person. I think even though it’s incredible, we’re breaking records this week in particular, putting tennis on the map, putting WTA tennis on the map. I feel like we’ve earned that right to be recognized more as a global sport.”