In a surprising move at the age of 25, Australia's world number one Ashleigh Barty has decided to retire from tennis while at the peak of her career, citing that she has achieved her goals in the sport and feels exhausted from the demands of participating in tournaments. Barty's retirement comes after she won 15 titles, and less than two months after claiming the Australian Open, her third Grand Slam title, following her 2021 Wimbledon and 2019 French Open victories.
In an emotional video on her Instagram account, Barty stated: "Ashleigh Barty the person has many dreams she wants to chase, and that doesn't necessarily involve traveling the world and being away from her family and being far from home, which is where she likes to be all the time."
She added: "I will never stop loving tennis; it’s a huge part of my life. But I think it’s important to enjoy the next part of my life related to Ashleigh Barty the person, not Ashleigh Barty the athlete."
This marks Barty's second retirement in her sporting career, as she stepped away from the game as a teenager near the end of 2014 due to feeling overwhelmed by the competition, but she returned in 2016 and quickly rose through the ranks.
In the video, alongside her close friend and former doubles partner Casey Dellacqua, Barty expressed: "I know I've done this before but with different emotions." The Australian player concluded: "I am so grateful for tennis; it has given me all my dreams and more, but I know it's the right time now to step away and chase other dreams and put my racquets down."
