Australia's Ashleigh Barty hits a ball into the crowd after beating Madison Keys of the US in their women's singles semi-final match on day eleven of the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne on January 27, 2022. - -- IMAGE RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - STRICTLY NO COMMERCIAL USE -- (Photo by MICHAEL ERREY / AFP) / -- IMAGE RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - STRICTLY NO COMMERCIAL USE -- (Photo by MICHAEL ERREY/AFP via Getty Images)
The World number one Ashleigh Barty shocked the world when she announced her retirement at the age of only 25
Ashleigh Barty said she had fulfilled her dreams already on the tennis court. In a heartfelt social media video message with her close friend and former tennis doubles partner Casey Dellacqua, Barty dropped the bomb.
“Success for me is knowing that I’ve given absolutely everything, everything I can. I’m fulfilled, I’m happy and I know how much work it takes to bring the best out of yourself,” said the three-time Grand Slam winner.
Barty had previously given tennis a break in 2014. She said she was overwhelmed by the pressure and the travel required.
The Australian admitted that it was difficult for her to say that she is retiring.
“It’s the first time I’ve actually said it out loud and, yeah, it’s hard to say,” Barty said in the video.
The former Australian professional cricketer spent 121 weeks at No. 1 in the rankings, including the past 114 in a row. She won 15 tour-level titles in singles. Barty won another 12 in doubles since first turning pro in 2010.
An amazing video has come out which was during Roland Garros 2019 when talking to Simo, Barty had revealed that she would be playing for “3 or 4” more years.
Across all levels of play, Barty produced an incredible 305-102 (74.93% win percentage) record in singles and a 200-64 (75.76% win percentage) record in doubles, earning total career prize money of $23,829,071.
Barty won the Australian Open earlier this year and the Wimbledon last year. She hails winning Wimbledon as her biggest achievement and a dream come true moment.
She has also won the French Open in 2019. Barty won the doubles competition in the US Open in 2018 teaming with CoCo Vandeweghe.
Ashleigh Barty had recently withdrawn from the upcoming WTA 1000 hard court events at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, California, and the Miami Open, where she is the two-time defending champion.
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