Ash Barty to return to cricket at T20 Cairns Gold Clash on November 22, 2026
Former world No.1 tennis player Ash Barty will make a cricket comeback on November 22, 2026, when she features in the T20 Cairns Gold Clash at Cazalys Stadium in Cairns. She is scheduled to represent Team Cricket against Team Footy in the celebrity fixture being introduced in Australia after gaining popularity in New Zealand.
Barty first took up cricket during an 18-month break from professional tennis after stepping away following the 2014 US Open. During that period she trained with Queensland’s women’s team and played club cricket for Western Suburbs District Cricket Club in Brisbane. Her performances earned her a contract with the Brisbane Heat for the inaugural Women’s Big Bash League season.
Her WBBL debut arrived on December 5, 2015, against the Melbourne Stars, when she batted at No. 6 and scored 39 off 27 balls, including a six. Across the 2015-16 WBBL campaign she played nine matches for the Brisbane Heat, scoring 68 runs in seven innings at a strike rate of 109.68. She also represented Queensland in two List A matches, scoring 11 runs.
Barty’s last competitive cricket appearances occurred during the 2015-16 season before she returned her focus to tennis in early 2016. She later credited her cricket experience with helping her rediscover her enjoyment of sport and said the break ultimately made her a better tennis player.
After resuming tennis, Barty won the 2019 French Open, the 2021 Wimbledon title and the 2022 Australian Open. The 2022 Australian Open made her the first Australian woman in 44 years to win the singles title at Melbourne Park. She retired from professional tennis in March 2022 while ranked No. 1 in the world and as the reigning Australian Open and Wimbledon champion, finishing her career with three Grand Slam singles titles and 121 weeks at No. 1.
The celebrity match roster announced for the Cairns event lists several prominent names who will take part alongside Barty, including Brian Lara, Usman Khawaja, Matt Hayden, Mike Hussey and Johnathan Thurston. The fixture is being staged as a T20 celebrity contest and will pit Team Cricket against Team Footy.
Her appearance at Cazalys Stadium on November 22, 2026 will offer a rare glimpse of the former champion back in the sport that played an important role during a pivotal period of her career.
