Stupor in the world of tennis, Wednesday March 23. A little less than two months after her third Grand Slam title at the Australian Open, her first on home soil, world number 1 in women’s tennis Ashleigh Barty has announced that she is ending her career at just 25. years.
How did she come to such a decision when she dominates her sport and the future seemed promised to her? “I no longer have the physical energy, the emotional will and everything it takes to surpass myself at the highest level.“, she explained in a video message made alongside her former doubles partner Casey Dellacqua, adding that she was “absolutely exhausted”.
The one who also won Roland-Garros in 2019 and Wimbledon in 2021 is visibly withdrawing at peace with herself. “I’m so happy, and I’m so ready, and I just know now in my heart that as a person it’s the right decision“. At the top of the WTA rankings since September 2019, Barty has won 15 singles titles in his career.
First break at 18
“Success for me is knowing that I gave everything, everything I could. I’m fulfilled, I’m happy, and I know how much work it takes to give the best of yourself”, still secured the 1.66m right-hander who also has twelve doubles titles to her name, including one Grand Slam (US Open 2018).
Barty started playing tennis as a child and won the Wimbledon junior title at age 15 in 2011. But expectations of success got the better of her. Three years later, she gave up tennis for the first time for cricket, playing in the Australian Women’s Professional Championship.
She returned to tennis after a season of absence, signing her first Grand Slam triumph at Roland-Garros in 2019 and becoming the first Australian world number 1 since Evonne Goolagong-Cawley 50 years earlier. Only before her Chris Evert, Martina Navratilova, Steffi Graf and Serena Williams had finished three years in a row at the top.
To be able to win Wimbledon was my dream, my only real dream in tennis
Ashleigh Barty
“Being able to win Wimbledon was my dream, my only real dream in tennis, says Ashleigh Barty. It really changed my perspective. I had this intuition after Wimbledon and I talked a lot about it to my team” confessed the champion . “There was just a small part of me that wasn’t quite happy… And then came the Australian Open challenge and I think for me that’s the most perfect way” to leave.
