ASH BARTY RETIRES AS WORLD #1

Source: news.com.au

Aussie champion Ash Barty has announced her retirement from professional tennis at the age of 25.

Taking to Instagram to announce the news she wrote:

“Today is difficult and filled with emotion for me as I announce my retirement from tennis. I wasn’t sure how to share this news with you so I asked my good friend @caseydellacqua 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.

More to come tomorrow at my press conference.”

Fans around the world are shocked that the World No. 1 has decided to leave tennis only two months after winning her third grand slam. She had previously left tennis to play professional cricket earlier in her career. Nevertheless her love for tennis was reignited and she came back to win the French Open (2019), Wimbledon (2021) and the Australian Open (2022).

“I know I’ve done this (retired) before but in a very different feeling and I am so grateful to everything that tennis has given me.

It’s given me all of my dreams, plus more, but I know that the time is right now for me to step away and chase other dreams and to put the racquets down.”

In repsonse to Dellacqua asking her “why now?”, Barty responded,

“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.

“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.”

Barty spoke of her happiness and content with everything that she gave the sport.

“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’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.”