Ash Barty is the top-ranked tennis player in the world, the reigning Wimbledon champion and was the No. 1 seed in the U.S. Open. But none of that matters to her dogs. To them, Barty’s just “mum.”
“Dogs provide a beautiful sense of perspective,” says Barty. “They don’t care if I won or lost. They love me just the same.”
And since October is Adopt-A-Dog Month, GoodSport spoke with Barty and three other athletes who have adopted animals about the deep bond that players have with their rescue pups. After all, dogs make the best teammates.