World No. 1 Tennis Player Ashleigh Barty Retires

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World No. 1 tennis player Ashleigh Barty has officially called it quits at 25 years old.

Barty confirmed her goodbye to her professional tennis career in an announcement posted to social media, wherein she explained that she is ready to leave the sport and “chase other dreams.” She announced her decision stating,

“I’m so happy and I’m so ready. I just know at the moment in my heart, for me as a person, this is right.
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 traveling the world, being away from my family, from my home, which is where I’ve always wanted to be.”

In her career, Barty has won three major Grand Slam titles, including this year’s Australian Open in January. Her win made her the first home player to win the Australian Open (men’s or women’s) single title in 44 years. Since winning her first Grand Slam at the French Open in 2019, Barty has remained the world’s No. 1 tennis player for 114 consecutive weeks. Other female tennis players with a longer streak than hers are Steffi Graf, Serena Williams and Martina Navratilova.

Known for her signature slice backhand, Barty was the ultimate competitor. In her announcement she expressed her gratitude to the sport and those who helped her get to where she is, “I am so thankful for everything this sport has given me and leave feeling proud and fulfilled.” She continued,

“I know how much work it takes to bring the best out of yourself. I’ve said it to my team multiple times, ‘I just don’t have that in me any more.’ Physically, I have nothing more to give. I’ve given absolutely everything I have to this beautiful sport of tennis, and I’m really happy with that.
For me, that is my success. Thank you to everyone who has supported me along the way. I’ll always be grateful for the lifelong memories we created together.”