World No.1 Barty suffers shock defeat in first round of Olympics

Australia’s Ashleigh Barty serves to Spain’s Sara Sorribes Tormo during their Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games women’s singles first round tennis match at the Ariake Tennis Park in Tokyo on July 25, 2021. (Photo by Tiziana FABI / AFP)

World number one Ashleigh Barty crashed out of the Olympics women’s singles tennis tournament in the opening round on Sunday, losing 6-4, 6-3 to Spain’s Sara Sorribes Tormo.

Barty, the reigning Wimbledon champion, dropped serve twice in each set as 48th-ranked Sorribes Tormo made just five unforced errors to the Australian’s 27 to earn a shock win.

“It’s an amazing feeling, I still can’t believe it,” said Sorribes Tormo, who will go on to face France’s Fiona Ferro in the second round.

MAJOR UPSET.

Spain's Sara Sorribes Tormo knocks off the World No. 1, Australia's Ash Barty in the first round. #TokyoOlympics

📺: Olympic Channel
NBC Sports App pic.twitter.com/xqmPSz7ar8

— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) July 25, 2021

“It’s something incredible for me. It’s something that I’ve been dreaming of all my life, being here and even more so beating the world number one. I’m super, super happy.”

While Barty’s bid to become the first Australian singles gold medallist in tennis ended prematurely, she and partner Storm Sanders are through to the second round of the women’s doubles.

Barty could potentially come up against Sorribes Tormo again in the quarter-finals of that competition. Sorribes Tormo and Paula Badosa are in first-round action later on Sunday.