At 25, world number one and one of the best tennis players, Ashleigh Barty shocked the sporting world by announcing her retirement from professional tennis.
On Wednesday, on social media, Ashleigh Barty announced that she was retiring to “chase her dreams.”
She also added that she was “absolutely spent” and “physically has nothing more to give” to this sport.
These were her exact words in this interview:
“I’m ecstatic, and I’m ready. I just have a feeling in my heart that this is the right thing for me as a person at this moment.”
“I know that people may not understand it. I’m OK with that. Because I know that Ash Barty the person has so many dreams she wants to chase after that don’t necessarily involve travelling the world, being away from my family, from my home, which is where I’ve always wanted to be.”
Barty won three Grand Slam singles events, including this year’s Australian Open in January. She became the first home player to take home the Australian Open men’s or women’s singles title in 44 years.
She finished the interview by saying that she is so satisfied and proud of all the things that this sport has given her, and she thanked everyone who supported her during this journey.
Barty will now take some time to herself and will try to enjoy life more. She can certainly afford it as she is one of the highest-earning tennis players.