Ash Barty surprised tennis fans by retiring from the sport at the age of 25 after being ranked no. 1 in the world. The Australian posted a video to Instagram confirming her decision. The social media post did not reveal the reasons behind her decision, but she assured that more details would be revealed at a press conference following the announcement.
It is a difficult and emotional day for me as I announce my retirement from tennis. I had no idea how to share this news with you, so I asked my good friend @caseydellacqua for help. I am so grateful for everything tennis has given me, and I am grateful for the memories we have made together,” she wrote on Instagram.
Barty has held the No. 1 spot in the women’s singles rankings for 114 consecutive weeks. The Australian is one month shy of turning 26.
It isn’t common for professional sportspersons to hang up their boots at the top of their game, that too at an age where most players begin to hit their peak.
In her career, Barty won a total of three major singles titles on three different surfaces — the 2019 French Open, the 2021 Wimbledon and the Australian Open 2022. She has as many as 15 titles to her name in singles competitions and 12 in doubles. No player has won as many titles during the period in which Barty was active.
Barty possesses a phenomenal 305-102 record in singles and a 200-64 record in doubles in her career. In the process, she has also earned total career prize money of $23,829,071.