Do you know about Ashleigh Barty? Not many people had heard of Ashleigh Barty prior to the 2019 season. Although her break out year started just a few months ago, really she has been steadily climbing the ranks since her comeback to tennis in 2017. In late 2014 she took a brief hiatus from the sport and switched to her second favorite sport cricket. When Ashleigh did comeback, she made great strides on the tour capturing her first WTA singles title in 2017 at the Malaysian Open and her first doubles grand slam title in 2018 at the US Open with partner Coco Vandeweghe. From there, she continued to elevate herself into a top ten player in both singles and doubles. Now she is up to the world number 2 ranking in singles capturing her first Master’s 1000 singles title in Miami and first grand slam singles title at Roland Garros. We got to talk with the champion about her Fila gear and it how it’s impacting her stellar 2019 season.
On the left is Ashleigh Barty raising the 2019 Roland Garros Women’s Singles trophy (Source: June 1, 2019 – FILA). On the right is Coco Vandeweghe and Ashleigh Barty raising the 2018 US Open Women’s Doubles trophy (Source: Sept. 9, 2018 – AP Photo/Adam Hunger).
Q1 – You’ve been wearing the FILA Axilus 2 Energized this season, and needless to say it seems to be working for you. What aspects of this shoe stand out to you?
Ashleigh – The Axilus 2 Energized is a great shoe. The comfort, the durability and lightweight material are all key for me and have definitely helped me perform this year.
Q2 – You’ve had an unbelievable first half of the 2019 season. How important is it to your success to wear shoes and apparel that allow you to perform your best?
Ashleigh – It’s critical! Having confidence in what I am wearing on the court helps me perform at my best.
Q3 – Why is it so important to have the right brand partner for footwear and apparel, and how has your partnership with FILA benefited you in your career?
Ashleigh – I have been with FILA for years and feel that we work well together to create the best products for me. I am able to give feedback and work with the FILA team to modify products to ensure they are best suited to me and help my performance. Our partnership is very important to me.
Q4 – Throughout your incredible run at Roland Garros you were wearing FILA’s special edition P.L. Rolando collection, which was inspired sketches from the brand’s first creative director. What does it mean to you to wear a kit that is so tied to FILA’s rich history in the sport, especially during the biggest tournament of your career?
Ashleigh – I loved the P.L. Rolando collection! It was an honor to wear the limited-edition collection in Paris and celebrate FILA’s heritage. The collection looked great, was comfortable on and I felt special wearing it as it had been made just for me.
It was a pleasure talking with Ashleigh about her insights on Fila tennis gear. Visit Tennis Express today to get her latest Fila apparel and upgrade your game to pro status.
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