Ashleigh Barty
WorldNo. 1 Ashleigh Barty has shocked the tennis world by publicizing her withdrawal from the sport after winning three major mates titles in the last three times.
“ moment is delicate and filled with emotion for me as I advertise my withdrawal from tennis, ” the 25- time-old Australian said in the caption of an Instagram post Wednesday.
“ I’m so thankful for everything this sport has given me and leave feeling proud and fulfilled. Thank you to everyone who has supported me along the way, I ’ll always be thankful for the lifelong recollections that we created together. ”
The post included a videotape, mugged with retired Australian tennis player Casey Dellacqua, in which Ashleigh Bartyfurther explains her decision.
“ There was a perspective shift in me in the alternate phase of my career, that my happiness wasn’t dependent on the results, and success for me is knowing I ’ve given absolutely everything I can, ” she said.
“ I know how important work it takes to bring the stylish out of yourself. I ’ve said it to my platoon multiple times, it’s just I do n’t have that in me presently. I do n’t have the physical drive, the emotional want, and everything it takes to challenge yourself at the very top of the position presently, and I just know that I’m spent. I just know physically, I’ve nothing further to give. That, for me, is success. ”
She added that she had been allowing about withdrawal for “ a long time, ” and the decision was cemented after winning Wimbledon last time and the Australian Open this time. Those palms were “ my perfect way to celebrate what an amazing trip my tennis career has been, ” she said.
The decision was delicate but felt right, she said. “Ashleigh Barty, the person, has so numerous dreams that she wants to chase after that do n’t inescapably involve traveling the world, being down from my family, being down from my home, which is where I ’ve always wanted to be. ”
The Women’s Tennis Association( WTA) verified her withdrawal in a news release.
“ Ashleigh Barty with her hand slice cacography, rounded by being the ultimate contender, has always led by illustration through the unwavering professionalism and sportsmanship she brought to every match, ” WTA president and CEO Steve Simon said in the release.
“ With her accomplishments at the Grand Slams, WTA Tests, and reaching the zenith ranking of No. 1 in the world, she has easily established herself as one the great titleholders of the WTA. ”
Ashleigh Barty has won three major mates titles — the 2019 French Open, the 2021 Wimbledon and the 2022 Australian Open. In total, she has won 15 mates titles and 12 doubles titles on the WTA Tour, and was the first Australian to win the Australian Open mates title since 1978.
She’s only the alternate reigning World No. 1 in the women’s game to retire at the top, following Justine Henan, who retired in 2008.
Ashleigh Barty, who started her professional tennis career in 2010, took a break from the sport from 2014 to 2016, saying “ it was too much too snappily, ” according to the WTA release. Only 18 at the time, she wanted to “ witness life as a normal teenaged girl, ” she said.
She returned to tennis full- time in 2017 — and went on to dominate the sport, winning 25 of her last 26 matches.
