INTERNATIONAL: World number one player and Australian Open champion Ash Barty visited Australia's iconic Uluru rock and gave some tennis lessons to local indigenous children.

In her role as Tennis Australia’s First Nations Ambassador, Barty taught young children how to strike a ball with a racket on the red sand near Uluru and at a tennis club in nearby Alice Springs.

Barty said she enjoyed teaching the sport to children, some of whom had never picked up a racket before.

"This today has been an experience as much for me as it is for the kids, and I think there are so many communities (like this). These kids today (are) 15, 16 kids who have never picked up a tennis racket. Just a couple of days ago was the first time they'd picked up a racket, so I think providing that opportunity is so exciting for me and that's part of my role is to provide those opportunities and help kids get involved in the sport because that's what lights me up the most, seeing them smile and try something new for the first time and do it. It reminds me of what it was like for myself and as much as it is for them trying something new, selfishly I love it and I probably get more out of it than they do. I just love coming here and providing that opportunity for youth all around the country, it's not just in remote areas, but just in areas that haven't had the opportunity to try something new."

Barty is herself indigenous. Her father claims Ngarigo ancestry through one of his grandmothers.

Indigenous Australians suffer disproportionately from many debilitating health issues such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease, conditions where regular exercise can make a big difference.