Australian women’s tennis number one, Ash Barty, has announced her retirement from the sport at the age of 25, saying she is physically and emotionally spent.
The three-time grand slam winner announced her departure in a video today with former doubles partner and long-time friend, Casey Dellacqua.
“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,” said Barty.
“I’m so grateful for what tennis has given me, all of my dreams plus more, but I know the time is right now for me to step away and to put the rackets down.”
She said retirement was something she had been considering since 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 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…I’m really, really excited.”
Barty said she was “physically spent” after three consecutive years as the women’s world number one.
“I am spent. I just know, physically, I have nothing more to give and that, for me, is success,” she said.
“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 who 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.”
