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Ash Barty has been enjoying her time on the court at Wimbledon, and the world number one has also been having fun off the court, dropping Disney references into quotes for days before anyone noticed.
Key points:
- Ash Barty has left a hidden message in each of her post-match conferences so far
- The world number one has referenced Disney films Toy Story, The Little Mermaid and The Lion King
- Barty's next match takes place on Monday, leaving the 23-year-old plenty of time to come up with the next reference
The ABC's Offsiders noticed the trend, pointing out Barty had peppered her responses at post-match conferences with direct quotes from The Little Mermaid, Toy Story and The Lion King.
"She's done three press conferences so far and she's made a little reference in each press conference … I think there might be a dare happening here for Ash Barty," Kelli Underwood said on the program.
In her first conference at the tournament, Barty referenced The Lion King saying: "We kind of came into it thinking like Hakuna Matata."
Which Disney movie will Ash quote next?
Ash Barty has so far referenced the Disney movies The Lion King (1994), Toy Story (1995) and The Little Mermaid (1989). If she sticks to the theme, one of these '90s films could make an appearance in her post-match interview.
- Beauty and the Beast (1991)
- Aladdin (1992)
- Pocahontas (1995)
- The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996)
- Hercules (1997)
- Mulan (1998)
- A Bug's Life (1998)
- Tarzan (1999)
After her second round, Barty opted for a Toy Story reference, saying: "I chat to my niece and over and over she just tells me, 'you can go to infinity and beyond'."
And when asked about her shot selection following her straight-sets defeat of British hopeful Harriet Dart on Sunday, Barty slid in a lyric from The Little Mermaid's Oscar-winning track Under the Sea.
"I think for me sometimes I look at a shot, I play a shot, I think the seaweed is always greener in someone else's lake.
"I try and think of how else I can win the point," she said, keeping a straight face.
ABC sports reporter Catherine Murphy joked: "So not only is she absolutely dominating the media, she is taking the complete mick out of the press as well and I've only just realised it."
Barty's win on Sunday puts her through to the fourth round of the tournament, with her next match against unseeded US player Alison Risk on Monday.
In a Tale as Old as Time, only then will we know whether she decides to Go the Distance and add in more iconic Disney references — or whether she will Let It Go.
Topics: tennis, sport, film-movies, arts-and-entertainment, united-kingdom
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