“Aussie tennis great, three-time Grand Slam champion, and world #1 Ash Barty retires” certainly wasn’t the headline anyone anticipated in 2022. But just months after winning the Australian Open, the 25-year-old homegrown talent has officially announced she’s stepping away from the professional circuit.
“It’s something that I’ve been thinking about for a long time,” Ash Barty tells longtime friend and former doubles partner, Casey Dellacqua, in a video posted on Instagram.
“I kind of wasn’t quite sure how I was going do this but I think so many times in my life – both my professional and my personal – you’ve been there for me.”
“And I just couldn’t think… there’s no right way, there’s no wrong way. It’s just my way and this is perfect for me to share it with you, to talk to you about it, with my team, my loved ones that I’ll be retiring from tennis. It’s the first time I’ve actually said it out loud.”
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The international superstar from Ipswich elaborated on what she revealed verbally in the aforementioned IG video’s caption:
Today is difficult and filled with emotion for me as I announce my retirement from tennis. I wasn’t sure how to share this news with you so I asked my good friend @caseydellacqua to help me. I am 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 grateful for the lifelong memories that we created together ?
More to come tomorrow at my press conference.
Ash Barty retires from professional tennis for the second and (ostensibly) final time as the most decorated Australian player in history so far; the first occasion being back in 2014 when she announced she was “taking a break” before dipping a toe in professional cricket with the Brisbane Heat in the inaugural edition of the Women’s Big Bash League, eventually making a return circa 2016. At this stage, no one knows what her next move will be, although there have been rumblings of another sport change these past few weeks.
Here’s to you, AB.
