Ash Barty got off to a perfect start in the Wimbledon final by collecting the first 14 points, then needed to hold off a comeback bid before beating Karolina Pliskova 6-3, 6-7 (4), 6-3 on Saturday for her second Grand Slam title.

The top-seeded Barty adds this championship to the one she won at the French Open in 2019.

She is the first Australian woman to win the singles trophy at the All England Club since Evonne Goolagong in 1980. 

Barty says she has been inspired by Goolagong and wore an outfit at Wimbledon that was a tribute to the dress Goolagong played in when she won the tournament for the first time in 1971.

Barty, who is 25, was the junior champion at Wimbledon a decade ago, then left the tennis tour for nearly two years in 2014 because of burnout. She played professional cricket back home, then eventually decided to return to her other sport.

The match was played under a cloud-filled sky and with Centre Court's retractable roof open despite rain in the forecast for much of the afternoon. Because of the threat of showers, Barty and Pliskova shared a warmup session under the roof at No. 1 Court earlier in the day, at times standing side-by-side while hitting shots.

(With input from agencies)