WORLD NUMBER 1 ASHLEIGH BARTY STUNNED the tennis world Wednesday by announcing her early retirement from the sport at the age of just 25, having won three major singles titles in the last three years.
Barty dropped the bombshell weeks after becoming the first home-grown champion of the Australian Open in 44 years, joining tennis royalty's most exclusive club with a Grand Slam crown on three different surfaces.
"Today is difficult and filled with emotion for me as I announce my retirement from tennis," she said in a video posted on Instagram.
In the tearful video message with her close friend and retired former doubles partner Casey Dellacqua, Barty said she was "thankful for everything this sport has given me".
"I'm so happy, and I'm so ready and I just know at the moment in my heart as a person, this is right. I'm so grateful for everything that tennis has given me, it's given me all of my dreams plus more.
"But I know the time is now right for me to step away and chase other dreams and put the racquets down."
In the video Barty further explains her decision.
"There was a perspective shift in me in the second phase of my career, that my happiness wasn't dependent on the results, and success for me is knowing I've given absolutely everything I can," she said.
"I know how much work it takes to bring the best out of yourself. I've said it to my team multiple times, it's just I don't have that in me anymore. I don't have the physical drive, the emotional want, and everything it takes to challenge yourself at the very top of the level anymore, and I just know that I am spent. I just know physically, I have nothing more to give. That, for me, is success."
She added that she had been thinking about retirement for "a long time", and the decision was cemented after winning Wimbledon last year and the Australian Open this year. Those victories were "my perfect way to celebrate what an amazing journey my tennis career has been," she said.
The decision was difficult but felt right, she said. "Ash Barty, the person, has so many dreams that she wants to chase after that don't necessarily involve traveling the world, being away from my family, being away from my home, which is where I've always wanted to be."
Barty has been world number one for more than two years and retires after winning three Grand Slam singles titles - the French Open in 2019, Wimbledon in 2021 and the Australian Open this year.
"Thank you for being an incredible ambassador for this sport and for women around the world," the Women's Tennis Association tweeted of one of the most respected and loved players on tour. "We will miss you so much, Ash."
There is a sense of deja vu in Barty's decision to retire. This the second and seemingly final time the tennis great will be walking away from the game that has made her one of the most admired and genuinely loved figures in Australian sport.
Her love for tennis dates back to the early years of her life. With her skills on the court, she gained popularity in Australia as well as abroad. Then, Barty won her junior Wimbledon title in 2011 when she was 15 years old. The “too fast and too soon” success overwhelmed the young star, and she felt “lost”.
The rise to the top exhausted her to an extent where she was forced to take a hiatus from the sport, taking up semi-professional cricket with Brisbane Heat.
“I felt like I got twisted and maybe a little bit lost along the way in the first part of my career.
“I was very lucky to have a lot of success, but I’m still very much a homebody and I kind of lost my way a little bit with not being able to connect with my family. We didn’t lose that love or that care, but I felt like there was a bit of a split. I wanted to come back to that. I wanted to come back to my family and those who love me the most.
Her stint in cricket was fruitful and she admitted to getting a different perspective.
“I met a lot of different people in cricket who had a different upbringing and a different perspective about sport.”
The hiatus rekindled her love for tennis all over, leading her to return to the court. Within three years, she’d won the French Open.
Late last year, she became engaged to long-term boyfriend Garry Kissick, who was ever-present courtside when she played and often posted supportive messages on social media.
To view Ashleigh Barty's decision to retire, posted on Instagram, click here...
- Log in to post comments