No. 1 Ash Barty shocks tennis world by retiring at age 25
Ash Barty shocked the tennis world when she announced on Wednesday in Australia that she was retiring from professional tennis despite only being 25 years old and holding the No. 1 ranking in the sport.
Barty announced the news by posting a six-minute video clip on social media that attempted to answer some questions regarding her retirement.
The three-time major winner cited physical and mental burnout, as well as the fulfillment of goals, as the reasons for her retirement.
“There was a perspective shift in me in the second phase of my careeer,” Barty said. “My happiness wasn’t dependent on the results. Success to me is knowing I’m giving everything I can. I’m fulfilled, I’m happy. And I know how much work it takes to bring the best out of yourself … I don’t have that in me anymore. I don’t have the physical drive, the emotional want, and everything it takes to challenge yourself at the very top of the level anymore … I am spent. Physically, I have nothing more to give. That to me is success. I’m really happy with that.”
Barty recognizes that retiring while on top of her game is difficult, but she knows is the right thing for her.
“I’m so happy and I’m so ready. And I just know at the moment, in my heart — me as a person — this is right. … I’m so grateful to everything that tennis has given me, but I know that the time is right now for me now to step away and chase other dreams and to put the rackets down.
“It’s something that I’ve been thinking about for a long time,” she added.
Barty won Wimbledon in 2021 and followed that up by winning the Australian Open — her home country’s major — this year. She said that winning Wimbledon was her lifelong dream and that winning it changed her because she didn’t quite feel fulfilled despite accomplishing a huge goal. She apparently still has other goals in mind to chase.
“I want to chase after some other dreams,” Barty said.
Though it’s shocking to see the world No. 1 player retire so early, there are some aspects about Barty’s history that make this less unusual.
Barty took time off from 2014-2016 and pursued becoming a cricket player. Even stepping away then, amid a pro tennis career, didn’t prevent her from eventually working her way to No. 1 in the world once she returned.
Maybe Barty has some desires about playing professional cricket. Maybe she’ll take her two Michael Jordan years off to pursue dreams in another sport. Maybe she has some non-athletic personal goals she wants to accomplish. Maybe she just needs some time off to miss the game and restoke the desire to achieve No. 1 again.
Barty is stepping away from tennis for now, but I wouldn’t bet on her retirement being for good.
Here is the video of her interview:
Photo: Aug 31, 2021; Flushing, NY, USA; Ashleigh Barty of Australia after beating Vera Zvonareva of Russia on day two of the 2021 U.S. Open tennis tournament at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports