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My Dream Time

A Memoir of Tennis and Teamwork

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About this listen

It’s a tennis story. It’s a family story. It’s a teamwork story. It’s the story of how I got to where and who I am today.

I'm only in my mid-twenties, and some might think that's young to write a memoir. But it's important to reflect on every part of the journey, especially the end. The timing is perfect to share my story, from the first time I picked up a racquet as a five-year-old girl in Ipswich to the night I packed up my tennis bag at Melbourne Park after winning the 2022 Australian Open. Now I can look back at the 20 years in between and think carefully through the work and the play, the smiles and the tears, and all the people who helped along the way, be it my first ever coach, Jim Joyce, or my longtime one, Craig Tyzzer.

My Dream Time follows me on my path to being the best I could be, not just as an athlete but as a person. How do you conquer nerves and anxiety? How do you deal with defeat, or pain? What drives you to succeed – and what happens when you do? The answers tell me so much, about bitter disappointments and also dreams realised – from injuries and obscurity and self-doubt to winning Wimbledon and ranking number 1 in the world.

My story is about the power and joy of doing that thing you love and seeing where it can take you. It’s about the importance of purpose – and perspective – in our lives.

Personal Development Personal Success Sports Sports Psychology Tennis Women Memoir Inspiring Dream
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An insightful view of the life of a tennis pro, the tests, dedication and commitment required. An honest and frankly written book with just enough detail of the matches & much more about the experiences and interactions with her team, those who guided and inspired her and the lessons learned along the way - a really enjoyable and insightful read.

A really great read beautifully written

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This was a fascinating insight into women’s tennis world number 1 Ash Barty’s life and her decisions to quit tennis. The chapters alternate between her peak years and her early career. Barty was often quite brief in interviews so it was surprisingly open about her struggles. However the way the narrator butchers so many names is horrendous! Researching how to say players’ names and the places like Suzanne Lenglen court or the BNP Paribas should not be that hard with just a LITTLE preparation! As a tennis fan, it distracted from Barty’s story and was very annoying.

Insightful about Barty but terrible butchering of names!!

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I loved her amazing story almost as much as I enjoyed watching her play tennis. Such a genuine, highly talented but humble athlete who deserved all her success. The game misses her. However I don’t like the disjointed chronology of the book, which detracts from the story and makes the time line difficult to follow. Sadly the narration doesn’t come up to the standard I would expect. It is, at times, garbled, and the narrators failure to attempt correct pronunciation of so many of the pro players’ name was extremely irritating and to my mind displays a lack or respect for those players, which is a message I don’t believe Ash Barty intends to convey.

A fascinating story

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