On Daily Routines, we profile successful leaders, entrepreneurs, artists, executives and athletes to explore their routines, schedules, habits and day in the life.

In 2014, after competing in the 2014 US open, Australian tennis player, Ashleigh Barty decided to take a break from the sport she’d been playing professionally since she turned 14. In an interview, Barty revealed that the cause for the hiatus. “It was too much too quickly for me as I’ve been travelling from quite a young age,” she said. “I wanted to experience life as a normal teenaged girl and have some normal experiences.”

Learn how the most successful people in the world structure and manage their days. Sign to the Balance the Grind newsletter!

But it didn’t take long for the athlete to get drawn back into the world of sport. This time around, it was cricket. After meeting the Australian women’s national cricket team, she became interested in playing, even though she had no competitive experience and had only played casually with her family. During her break from swinging the tennis racket, Barty signed with Australian women’s Twenty20 cricket team, Brisbane Heat, and ended up playing during the inaugural Women’s Big Bash League season.

But by 2016, the pull of her childhood sport was too strong and she was back in the world of tennis. Over the next few years, she continued to rack up major achievements, including being the first Australian to win the French Open in singles since Margaret Court in 1973 and the first Australian to win a Grand Slam singles title since Sam Stosur at the 2011 US Open.

Earlier this year at that Australian Open, Barty, who was the favourite to win the tournament, defeated Danielle Collins to become the first Australian woman to win the Australian Open since Chris O’Neil in 1978.

It came after a long period of numerous challenges and setbacks due to the pandemic, which had the Australian tennis player going through 50 hour overseas trips, cancelled flights and 14-day quarantines.

Without a doubt it was something that was new to me, new to try and wrap my head around and comprehend where we’re going to be away for such an extended period. Of course there were tears the days leading up. There were tears when I did finally leave, and then when we left. Then we were delayed and had to leave again. It was all kind of happening. But I’m certainly happy to be here now.

‘There were tears’: Barty back on the road for long months on tour | The Guardian

Ashleigh Barty’s training routine & diet

On a typical day, Ashleigh Barty is usually up at 6am with her dogs acting as her alarm clock. After breakfast (“Toast with Vegemite, or cereal, fruit and yoghurt,” she told 9Honey) and a walk with her dogs, Barty is ready to head out the door for training.

During an interview with Women’s Health, the tennis player described a typical training routine for her. “At the moment, it’s 45 minutes of body preparation work in the morning, whether it be stretching or working on a few weaker areas,” she explained. “And then straight into a bit of a movement session before we go out and practise for two hours.”

“Then we have a bit of lunch and rest before either a gym or conditioning session in the afternoon, followed by a rehab session. And then sometimes as well, we sneak in a second on-court session if we need to do any extras. So, it’s a lot of hours on the court and in the gym at the moment.”

As part of her training, Barty has been working with Ben Crowe, a mindset coach, who was played a crucial role in her winning the Australian Open. “She has this beautiful balance,” Crowe told the Australian Financial Review. “She’s the most competitive person I’ve ever met but also considerate that it’s just a game at the end of the day. With that perspective, it’s not all consuming for her because she knows the sun still comes up tomorrow.”

When it comes to her diet, Barty revealed a typical day on her plate in the Women’s Health interview:

Training is a little bit different to a match, but on a standard day at the moment, I usually wake up, have a coffee and either banana or Vegemite on toast, with a yoghurt – that’s my standard brekkie. And then straight after practice a piece of fruit to get me through, and a good lunch to set me up for the rest of the day. After training, come four or five o’clock, it’s an afternoon coffee and another piece of fruit before I go home and cook up a pretty simple, basic dinner with four or five veg. It’s what I grew up with.

Tennis Star Ash Barty Shares Her Winning Training Regime | Women’s Health

Before you go…

Check out more daily routines from Barack Obama, Joe Rogan, Jeff Bezos, Michelle Obama, Sheryl Sandberg, Richard Branson, Warren Buffet and plenty others.