If you thought Ash Barty had truly retired, think again. Sure, she stepped away from professional tennis with grace and a Grand Slam trophy in hand—but it turns out the former world No. 1 is still playing, just on a very different court: her living room floor, with a toddler as her doubles partner and a sippy cup hazard zone at her feet.
And now, video evidence has emerged: Barty casually hitting a tennis ball—using a plush toy, no less—into a laundry basket across the room while holding a baby on her hip. The clip, posted by a friend on social media and quickly picked up by sports fans and parenting blogs alike, sent the internet into a frenzy. One commenter said, “She just hit the most relaxed trick shot of the year while simultaneously parenting. Serena who?”
The video, complete with Ash’s signature cool-as-ice expression and the tiniest of grins, proves one thing: the woman doesn’t miss. Not in tennis. Not in parenting. Not in trick shots involving stuffed animals and laundry hampers.
The clip has since gone viral. Parenting influencers dubbed it “Olympic-level multitasking,” and tennis fans begged for her return—though only if her baby comes courtside in matching gear. “That baby is going to have the best coordination on the playground,” someone tweeted. “Probably hits better forehands than me already.”
Sources close to Barty say these little trick shots happen all the time. She plays mini-tennis with rolled-up socks, uses teething rings as practice targets, and once did a perfect overhead smash with a foam noodle. “It’s how she keeps things fun around the house,” said one family friend. “And honestly? She’s still got it.”
Ash, true to form, brushed off the fanfare in her usual down-to-earth style, telling a reporter: “I just needed to get the laundry done. The shot was a bonus.” A humble champion, even when landing clean winners into a basket while pacifying a teething baby.
So while she may not be chasing trophies anymore, Ash Barty is clearly still finding creative ways to flex those champion muscles. Whether it’s crushing mum-life milestones or nailing casual home trick shots, retirement just means the competition has moved indoors—and gotten way cuter.
And if her kid grows up to develop even a fraction of her hand-eye coordination? Well, the next generation of tennis players should be very, very afraid.
