Who is Ashleigh Barty dating? World No. 1 calls beau Gary Kissick 'perfect Wimbledon ballboy'
Currently ranked World No. 1 in singles by the Women's Tennis Association, 25-year-old Australian champ Ashleigh Barty is an icon in the making. She first gained limelight about a decade ago, when she won the girls' single title at the 2011 Wimbledon tournament as a 15-year-old teenager. Her historic victory at the French Open in 2020 was hailed worldwide, as she became the first Australian to win the tournament since 1973. Unknown to many, the 2021 Wimbledon finalist has been a cricketer in the past as well, who played the sport professionally for two years.
As Ash Barty gears up to face Czech tennis star Karolina Pliskova at the Wimbledon Finals on July 10, 2021, one might spot her golfer boyfriend cheering from the stands. Gary Kissick has been in a steady relationship with Barty for quite a while now and appears to be her biggest fan and supporter. The Australian pro golfer and the tennis star are together regarded as a power couple in sports. Meanwhile, Barty's Wimbledon opponent Karolina Pliskova is married to Czech sports analyst Michal Hrdlicka.
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Who is Gary Kissick?
Gary Kissick is a 30-year-old PGA trainee professional under John Collins at the Brookwater Golf & Country Club in Brisbane. Currently in his second year of the three-year training program, Kissick aspires to further his golf career with intense practice and dedication.
According to his LinkedIn profile, Kissick presently works at the club as an irrigation technician while also playing professional golf there. He joined the club over 15 years ago in golf operations and spent over a decade on the maintenance team - before making his way into professional golfing. He holds a degree in Applied Horticulture/Horticulture Operations from the Brisbane North Institute of Tafe.
According to Who.com, Barty and Kissick met for the first time a the Brookwater Golf Club itself, where the former had gone to try her hands at a round of golf. They hit it off immediately and started seeing each other soon after. They first announced their relationship in public in 2017, when Kissick accompanied Barty to the John Newcombe Awards as her date.
The tennis pro often shares glimpses of her happy life with Kissick and their pets on social media. Though it is unclear whether she stays with him whenever she is in Australia, both of them hail from Queensland.
While wishing him a happy birthday, Ash Barty once referred to Kissick as her "cheeky and caring handsome boy". She also captioned one of their adorable couple photos with "my perfect Wimbledon ballboy." On the other hand, Kissick posts photos of the pair quite regularly on his Instagram, and affectionately calls the tennis player "baby". He has also stated that she is the "best person" he has ever met.
Sources close to the couple have revealed that they are immensely supportive of each other and branded them as "the most normal couple you'll find at that level in tennis." While Ashleigh Barty does not sport an engagement ring, speculations have surfaced time and again about whether she is engaged or not.