The world's top women's tennis player, Ash Barty, has capped a magnificent year by being honoured as the Young Australian of the Year for 2020.

Key points: Queenslander Ash Barty made her professional tennis debut in 2010 at the age of 14

Queenslander Ash Barty made her professional tennis debut in 2010 at the age of 14 She took a break from the tennis tour in 2014 to play cricket, before returning to the game

She took a break from the tennis tour in 2014 to play cricket, before returning to the game Barty has now held the women's world number one ranking for a total of 27 weeks

The 23-year-old from Ipswich in Queensland had a stellar year in 2019, becoming the first Australian woman since Evonne Goolagong Cawley to hold tennis's world number one ranking.

She won the French Open in June, beating Czech player Marketa Vondrousova in the final to become the first Australian winner at Roland Garros since Margaret Court in 1973.

Barty followed up her success later that month, taking the number one ranking by replacing Japan's Naomi Osaka at the top.

Her time as number one lasted seven weeks, but she regained the top ranking in September 2019 and has remained there ever since.

Last November, Ash Barty won the Newcombe Medal as Australia's top elite tennis player for the third time. ( AAP/Tennis Australia: Fiona Hamilton )

"Ash Barty is the world's number one tennis player, a champion athlete and an extraordinary young woman doing our nation proud," the chair of the National Australia Day Council, Danielle Roche said in the official announcement.

"Her achievements are inspiring young Australians to follow their dreams."

Barty's performances and down-to-earth approach were a hit with fans and pundits alike, and she received a string of honours, including the Newcombe Medal for Australia's most outstanding elite tennis player of 2019.

In November 2019 she also won The Don award at Sports Australia's Hall of Fame annual dinner in Melbourne.

The prestigious award is given annually to the Australian athlete or team whose achievements and example most inspires the nation.

She finished the year by winning the WTA Finals tournament in Shenzhen, China, beating Elina Svitolina in the final.

She received the winners' prize of $US4.42 million ($6.2 million), the biggest prizemoney in tennis history for a single tournament, men's or women's.

The victory also pushed her prizemoney for the year beyond the $US10 million mark.

Barty was also named the WTA Player of the Year for 2019.

Barty made her professional tennis debut in 2010 as a 14-year-old, and qualified for her first Australian Open at 15.

Ash Barty played one season in the WBBL with the Brisbane Heat before returning to professional tennis. ( AAP: Dave Hunt, file photo )

However she put her tennis career on hold after the US Open in 2014, stepping away from the WTA Tour.

She began training with the Queensland Fire state women's cricket team, played local district T20 cricket in Brisbane and then joined the Brisbane Heat Women's Big Bash League side, playing in the inaugural season of the T20 competition.

Barty returned to competitive tennis in early 2016, but 2017 was her breakthrough year as she jumped 254 ranking places to 17th in the world.