Rome, 23 March 2022 – Tennis goodbye. Ashleigh Bartynumber one in the WTA rankings, surprisingly announces his own withdraw at just 25 years old. With a post on Instagram. “Today is a difficult and exciting day for me because I am announcing my retirement from tennis”, writes the Australian, fourth in history to finish at the top of the standings for three consecutive years after Martina Navratilova, Steffi Graf and Serena Williams.
“I am so happy and so ready, and I am aware, inside of me I know that it is the right choice for me as a person – explains the player also speaking on video -. I have done it before, but in a very different way. grateful to tennis, which made me realize all my dreams, but I know it’s time to hang the racket on the nail and to pursue other dreams. ”
“I’ve been thinking about it for a long time – he continues – and I’ve had very important moments in my career. Victory at Wimbledon last year he changed a lot as a person and as an athlete. When you work so hard for a goal, and Wimbledon was my real goal. I thought about it a lot after Wimbledon, I talked about it to my team, but I felt that something was missing, that I was not completely satisfied. Then came the challenge ofAustralian Openand I think it was the most perfect way to celebrate the wonderful journey of my tennis career. ”
“There has been a shift in perspective in this second part of my career. My happiness no longer depended on results. Success, as I define it, is knowing that you have given everything I could give. I am satisfied, I am happy, I know how much work is needed to get the best out of ourselves. I have said this to my team several times – he continues – I do not have that desire, that push that is necessary to continue to surpass each other from time to time. Physically I have nothing more to give, I have given everything to tennis, I am happy, and this is my success. ”
“Someone may not understand and I understand it. But for me, Ash Barty, there are so many dreams which does not include traveling the world to play tennis, staying away from my family and home. I will never stop loving tennis, it has been a fundamental part of my life and always will be, but now I want to enjoy the next chapter of my life as Ash Barty the person, and not Ash Barty the athlete. ”
Barty leaves with 15 singles titles and 12 doubles wins, including three Grand Slams: Roland Garros 2019, Wimbledon 2021 and Australian Open 2022. She was number 1 in the WTA rankings for 114 consecutive weeks, in all for 121 weeks.