Being at the top of the women's rankings has become something of a poisoned chalice in recent years, with the position changing hands 10 times since the start of 2017 between eight different occupants.
The most recent holder before Barty, Naomi Osaka, admitted the pressure of being number one had caused headaches and fatigue while the stress was "way more" than she could have imagined.
The extent to which her game had plummeted from the heights of her two Grand Slam title successes at the U.S. and Australian Opens was laid bare when she exited Wimbledon meekly in the first round on Monday.
It was refreshing, therefore, to hear Barty embrace the so-called "burden" of being the world's best player with such enthusiasm as she waltzed into the second round at the All England Club with a 6-4 6-2 win over China's Zheng Saisai.
More in English via SBS News.
