"Wimbledon makes me smile like that too" - Ashleigh Barty gushes over baby son Hayden's delightful mood in tennis-themed fit

Former World No. 1 Ashleigh Barty this week shared a picture in which her toddler son Jayden was all smiles in a "Wimbledon" T-shirt. Barty played her last competitive match at the All England Club in the finals of the 2021 championships, when she edged out Karolina Pliskova to secure her first and only title at SW19.

Taking to Instagram this week, Barty posted a picture of her son in a black T-shirt. The toddler had a wide smile on his face in the pictures. The now-retired Australian tennis star captioned the post,

"Wimbledon outfits makes me smile like that too, Mate,"

There was an instant outpouring of love on the internet, as Barty's followers showered comments about how cute the toddler looked in the snap. While some commented that the child looked like his father, others suggested that he took after his mother. Barty has been married to golfer Gary Kissick since 2022, the same year she bid adieu to the sport.

Barty and Kissick often share pictures of their son, who was born in July 2023, on social media.

Ahead of her participation in the invitational doubles at this year's Wimbledon Championships, Ashleigh Barty shared a picture of her son sitting in a luggage bag with essentials his mother had packed for the trip. Earlier in the year, during Easter, Kissick had shared an adorable post in which the one-year-old was playing with a bunch of Easter toys.

Ashleigh Barty, who joined the tour in 2010, enjoyed a brief but illustrious career in the sport, where she reached No. 1 in the rankings and racked up 15 singles victories including three Grand Slams and a WTA Tour Finals triumph in 2019. Weeks after winning her first trophy in Australia in 2022, Barty announced that she had decided to hang up her racket.

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Ashleigh Barty finds motherhood "a whole new level" after retirement

Ashleigh Barty bid goodbye to the sport after winning her first Slam in her home country - Source: Getty

Ashleigh Barty has stayed connected to the sport after her retirement, appearing as a pundit for the BBC during Wimbledon, sharing her valuable insights.

Earlier this year, she said motherhood, despite its challenges, is more fulfilling than tennis. Barty said (via Body and Soul magazine),

“Without a doubt, not even a comparison. Absolutely. There were plenty of times throughout my career when I thought training was hard or I had some tough days, but it just goes to a whole new level when you become a mum.”

Her participation at the invitational doubles at the Championships sparked intense speculation that she could soon be joining fellow former World No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki on the comeback trail. However, the Australian has denied suggestions of a return.