All-round national treasure Ash Barty and husband Garry Kissick have welcomed their first child — a baby boy called Hayden.
The couple, who wed in 2022, shared the news in a joint Instagram post. “Our beautiful boy,” they said. “Welcome to the world, Hayden!”
Their post was flooded with supportive comments, including a cheeky one from the official Wimbledon Instagram account: “Future Wimbledon champion? Congratulations!”
The Australian Open Instagram account wasn’t one to be left out, adding: “The greatest triumph. Congratulations.”
But perhaps it was Seven presenter Kylie Gillies who had the best tennis pun: “Well how ’bout that for a Number #1! Congrats to you both.”
How did Ash Barty and Garry Kissick announce their pregnancy?
Barty and Kissick announced back in Januay 2023 they were expecting their first child, with the three-time Grand Slam single champion sharing a photo of baby shoes (and the couple’s border collie Origi) on Instagram.
“2023 set to be the best year yet. We are so excited for our new adventure 👶🏼💫,” Barty wrote at the time, adding that her puppy is already a “protective big sister”.
Kissick also basked in the baby bliss on social media by sharing his own announcement to his Instagram followers.
Following Barty’s lead by posting a picture of their dog and the pair of sport shoes, which are clearly of the tennis variety, Kissick also included a micro sized Liverpool football club jersey.
He captioned his photo “Little Red, 2023 👶🥰”, alluding to the name of Liverpool’s fanbase.
While there was no doubting the baby’s athletic genetics, it’s clear that Barty and Kissick have already chosen a team for the new bundle of joy to barrack for.
Following Barty’s announcement, an outpouring of love and support from both Australia’s sporting community and Ash’s fan was directed at the soon-to-be-mum.
Nedd Brockman, the 23-year-old runner who wowed Australia by completing an almost 4,000 kilometre marathon in under 50 days, commented “Yes ash!!! How exciting!”, while pro-surfer Stephanie Gilmore added “Yayy congrats fam ❤️❤️👶🏼”.
If one thing is clear by the reception to Barty’s announcement it’s that the newest member of the Barty Party is one we can’t wait to meet.
The Birth Was Apparently A Family Affair
According to a Woman’s Day in April 2023, Ash’s big sister Sara Coppolecchia was set play the role of midwife for the birth of the couple’s first child.
Sara works at St Andrew’s Ipswich Private Hospital, which is where the couple have elected to deliver their baby.
“Everything Garry and Ash do as a couple has always been under the radar, and welcoming their first baby will be no different, including the fact that her sister Sara will be with her every step of the way,” a source told Woman’s Day.
“They managed to keep Ash’s shock retirement and their July nuptials a secret, so you can expect this little baby is going to be heavily guarded – there won’t be any big glitzy announcements, because that’s just how Ash likes to roll.”
The source also speculated that, “Ash’s other sister Ali won’t be too far away, and her mum and dad Josie and Robert and the nieces and nephews will no doubt be in the waiting room ready for first cuddles! Everyone will be wanting the first look at the little bub.”
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