Ashleigh Barty beat Germany’s Julia Goerges 6-3 7-5 in the final to win the Birmingham Classic grass court title on Sunday.  Barty will overtake Japan’s Naomi Osaka off the summit when the new rankings are released Monday.

The 23-year-old Indigenous Australian from Queensland now becomes the third Australian woman in history to hold the number one ranking in the world in singles by the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA), following in the footsteps of Evonne Goolagong Cawley and Margaret Court.

“It’s been the most incredible journey for me and my team,” Barty said on court after a standing ovation from the crowd.

Barty, continued, “It’s not something that was even in my realm this year; we were aiming to be top 10 and now to be where we are is a testament to the people around me who’ve been with me these last three years.

“It has been such an amazing journey. We started from scratch, without a ranking, and to be where we are is a massive achievement for me and for them. It’s a dream come true.”