Barty wins Newcombe Medal

On Monday, Ashleigh Barty won the 2017 Newcombe Medal—the highest honor in Australian tennis. The nominee finalists included Nick Kyrgios, Daria Gavrilova, John Peers and Jordan Thompson.

Barty returned to the tour in 2016 after an 18-month break. Since then, she has won her first WTA title, reached the final of her first Premier 5 in Wuhan, cracked the Top 20 for the first time and become Australia's No. 1.

The 21-year-old credited her doubles partner Casey Dellacqua in her speech (the two have been to the final of every Grand Slam).

“She’s my best mate but I don’t think she quite understands how much of a massive impact she’s had on my on life,” the world No. 17 said. “Bringing me back into the sport to be honest, she started the ball rolling again to finish unfinished business in doubles."

This season, Barty and Dellacqua reached the final of Roland Garros, Eastbourne and New Haven and won titles in Birmingham, Strasbourg and Kuala Lumpur.

The Medal was presented alongside 14 other categories in the Australian Tennis Awards.

My Tennis Life's Sam Groth was at the gala with his fiancé Brittany Boys:

Gavrilova attended with her boyfriend Luke Saville:

Barty joins an honor roll of past Newcombe Medal winners that includes Lleyton Hewitt, Samantha Stosur, Kyrgios and Groth.