MY ACCOUNT
Ash Barty has announced a shock retirement from tennis at just 25.
The Australian world No1 announced the decision via her Instagram feed.
She said: “I am so thankful for everything this sport has given me and leave feeling proud and fulfilled.
“Thank you to everyone who has supported me along the way, I’ll always be grateful for the lifelong memories that we created together.”
Confirming the stunning news in an interview with close friend Casey Dellacqua, Barty revealed how achieving her dream of winning Wimbledon in 2021 led her to start considering retirement.
She said: “It’s something I’ve been thinking about for a long time.
“Wimbledon last year changed a lot for me as a person and for me as an athlete. To be able to win Wimbledon, which was my one true dream that I wanted in tennis, that really changed my perspective.
“I just had that gut feeling after Wimbledon and had spoken to my team quite a lot about it.
“There was just a little part of me that wasn’t quite satisfied, wasn’t quite fulfilled, then came the challenge of the Australian Open, that for me feels like my perfect way to celebrate what an amazing journey my tennis career has been.
“As a person this is what I want, I want to chase after some other dreams that I’ve always wanted to do.”
Barty, who won her first singles Grand Slam at the French Open in 2019, has not played since winning the Australian Open final over Danielle Collins in January and bids farewell to the sport knowing she has exhausted all of her physical energy.
She added: “I just know that I am spent, physically I have nothing more to give.
“That for me is success. I’ve given absolutely everything I can to this beautiful sport of tennis. I’m really happy with that. That is my success.
“Ash Barty the person has so many more dreams that she wants to chase after that don’t necessarily involve travelling the world, being away from my family, being away from my home, which is where I’ve always wanted to be.
“Now I think it’s important I get to enjoy the next phase of my life as Ash Barty the person, not Ash Barty the athlete.”
