Ashleigh Barty became the first home Australian Open champion

|CNN|

Ashleigh Barty became the first home Australian Open champion since 1978 after beating grand slam final debutante Danielle Collins 6-3 7-6 in Saturday's final.

The world No. 1 was utterly dominant throughout the tournament and clinched a historic title without even dropping a set.

Australian tennis fans had to wait more than four decades for one of their own to be crowned Australian Open champion, with the last home win coming courtesy of Chris O'Neil.

Barty's grand slam tally now stands at three -- her previous titles coming at the French Open in 2019 and Wimbledon in 2021 -- and the 25-year-old is without a doubt currently the most dominant force on the women's tour. With most of her career likely still ahead of her, the only question remaining around Barty's grand slam credentials is: how many? "I've said numerous times I'm so lucky tonight to have numerous people here that love and support me," Barty said in her post-match interview. "I'm a fortunate and lucky girl to have so much love in my corner, we started together right from the start. We did it all together, nobody has changed from our team. I love you to death. "As an Aussie the most important part of this tournament is being able to share it with so many people and the crowd, you have been nothing short of exceptional. "This crowd is one of the most fun I've ever payed in front of and you guys brought me so much joy today and helped me play my best tennis, so thanks for all your love and support over the last couple of weeks. "This is a dream come true for me and I am so proud to be an Aussie. See you next time."

(Except for the headline and the pictorial description, this story has not been edited by THE DEN staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)