At the young age of 25, Ashleigh Barty, the current top-ranked women’s tennis player and holder of three Grand Slam titles, has surprisingly announced her retirement from the sport.
Last Tuesday night, the Australian made her decision known by sharing a video on her Instagram page.
“I have lost the physical and emotional motivation, as well as the determination required to push myself to the highest level. I am exhausted,” Barty revealed to her former doubles partner Casey Dellacqua during their extensive conversation documented in the video.
View this post on InstagramA post shared by Ash Barty (@ashbarty)
Barty, who will celebrate her 26th birthday in April, has held the number one ranking in the WTA for an impressive 114 weeks in a row. She achieved a remarkable victory at the Australian Open in late January and has also triumphed in prestigious tournaments like Wimbledon in 2021 and the French Open in 2019. Throughout her career, she has accumulated an impressive collection of 15 singles titles.
In a press release, WTA Chairman and CEO Steve Simon stated that with her impressive achievements at the Grand Slams, WTA Finals, and attaining the top ranking of No.1 in the world, she has undeniably proven herself as one of the exceptional champions of the WTA. Simon expressed his well wishes to Ash as she enters a new phase in her life, confident that she will continue to be an outstanding representative for the sport of tennis. He concluded by mentioning that she will be missed.
