Ashleigh Barty insisted she is a worthy world No 1 on Saturday after defeating Bianca Andreescu to retain her Miami Open crown. The 24-yea...
Ashleigh Barty insisted she is a worthy world No 1 on Saturday after defeating Bianca Andreescu to retain her Miami Open crown.
The 24-year-old Australian star served notice of her determination to be a force this season with a 6-3, 4-0 victory as Andreescu retired with a foot injury in the second set.
Barty – who had already been assured of holding on to her No 1 ranking before Saturday’s final – has faced sniping from some players over her continued presence at top spot.
The Queenslander has benefited from a tweak into the way rankings are calculated which takes into account the disruption caused by last year’s pandemic shutdown.
However, Barty shrugged off the criticism on Saturday following her Miami win, rejecting a suggestion that her latest title “proved” she deserved her No.1 status.
“I never have to prove anything to anyone,” Barty said. “I know all the work that I do with my team behind the scenes.
“I know there has been a lot of talk about the ranking, but I didn’t play at all last year and I didn’t improve any of my points whatsoever.
“Yes, I didn’t drop, but I didn’t improve any. I didn’t play any at all. There were girls who had the chance to improve theirs, so...
