Australian women’s tennis world No.1 Ashleigh Barty has shocked fans around the globe by retiring aged just 25.
Barty pulled the plug on her stunning career ‘to chase other dreams’ just weeks after winning the Australian Open, backing up her Wimbledon victory last year.
The three-time grand slam winner announced her shock retirement on Wednesday in a video with former doubles partner and good friend Casey Dellacqua.
Barty, from Ipswich in Queensland, fought back tears as she made the bombshell announcement, saying she was physically and emotionally ‘spent’.
‘It’s the first time I’ve said it out loud, so it’s hard to say but I’m so happy and I’m so ready,’ she explained in the video.
Ash Barty has shocked the tennis world by announcing her retirement at age 25
‘I just know at the moment in my heart and for me as a person that this is right.’
‘I know I’ve done this before but in a very different feeling and I’m so grateful of what tennis has given me, all of my dreams plus more but I know the time is right now for me to step away to chase other dreams
‘I just know that I’m absolutely – I am spent. I just know, physically, I have nothing more to give.
‘And that, for me is, is success. I’ve given absolutely everything I can to this beautiful sport of tennis.
‘Ash Barty the person has so many 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.’
The women’s world number one was visibly emotional as she made the shock announcement
Barty said she’s been considering retirement for a while and had a ‘gut feeling’ achieving her childhood dream of winning Wimbledon last year.
‘It’s something I’ve been thinking about for a long time and I’ve had a lot of incredible moments in my career that have been pivotal moments,’ she said.
‘Wimbledon last year changed a lot for me as a person and for me as an athlete when you work so hard your whole life for one goal, and I’ve been able to share that with so many incredible people.
‘But to be able to win Wimbledon, which was my dream — the one, true dream 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. And then came the challenge of the Australian Open.
‘That for me just feels like the perfect way — 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, and always had that really healthy balance, but I’m really, really excited.’
Barty also revealed she’s ‘physically spent’ after three consecutive years as the women’s world number one following her comeback to the sport in 2017 after a 18 month break.
‘There was a perspective shift in me in the second phase of my career that my happiness wasn’t dependent on the results,’ Barty said.
‘Success for me is knowing that I’ve given absolutely everything, everything I can.
‘I’m fulfilled, I’m happy, and I know how much work it takes to bring the best out of yourself.
‘I just 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 level anymore.
‘I am spent. I just know physically I have nothing more to give and that, for me, is success.
‘I’ve given absolutely everything I can to this beautiful sport of tennis and I’m really happy with that.
‘I know that people may not understand it. And that’s OK, I’m OK with that because I know that for me, Ash Barty, the person has so many 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 that I get to enjoy the next phase of my life as Ash Barty the person and not Ash Barty the athlete.
‘It was hard but it’s right and I know that brought me lots of comfort knowing that this is right for me.’
Barty said she planned to share more details on why she was retiring at just 25 at a press conference on Thursday.
‘Today is difficult and filled with emotion for me as I announce my retirement from tennis,’ she captioned the video.
‘I wasn’t sure how to share this news with you so I asked my good friend Casey Dellacqua to help me.
‘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.’
Since turning pro at just 13, she also won the French Open in 2019 and 12 other titles despite taking a break to play cricket in 2014-16.
Barty grabbed the world No.1 spot on June 24, 2019, and she never relinquished it with high finishes in grand slams for the next two-and-a-half years.
Her many victories, including 12 doubles titles – many with Dellacqua, earned her US$23.83 million in prize money and millions more in sponsorships.
But the sport took its toll and she withdrew from Indian Wells and the Miami Open after winning in Melbourne, citing ‘a need for ongoing recovery after winning the Australian Open’.
Barty and her incredible career were praised by Women’s Tennis Association chief executive Steve Simon minutes after her announcement.
‘Ash Barty with her signature backhand slice complemented by being the ultimate competitor, has always led by example through unwavering professionalism and sportsmanship she brought to every match,’ he said.
‘She has clearly established herself as one of the great champions of the WTA.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has also paid tribute to Barty.
‘I want to say thank you to Ash for inspiring a generation of young people but particularly a generation of young indigenous people in this country,’ he told reporters.
‘You are all class. T ank you to ash for inspiring a country, inspiring a nation, at a time when this country really needed a good shot in the arm
‘None of us will ever forget that incredible comeback down there at the Australian open this year.’
