Ash Barty Is Retiring From Tennis After 3 Grand Slam Titles
"It's given me all of my dreams, plus more. But I know that the time is right now for me to step away and chase other dreams and to put the racquets down."
Tennis legend and national treasure Ash Barty has announced her shock retirement from the sport just months after winning the Australian Open back in January. I regret to inform you, the Barty party is over.
Barty made the shock announcement in an emotional video posted to Instagram on Wednesday afternoon.
“Today is difficult and filled with emotion for me as I announce my retirement from tennis,” she captioned the video, in which she was interviewed by friend and former tennis star Casey Dellacqua.
“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,” the caption read.
Throughout the emotional video, she noted that she is so “happy and so ready” to make the call to retire from the sport.
“It’s given me all of my dreams, plus more. But I know that the time is right now for me to step away and chase other dreams and to put the racquets down.”
Barty noted that last year’s event in Wimbledon was a major turning point for her in the sport, with the star noting that she had a “gut feeling” after winning the event that it would be time to step down.
“I wanna chase after some other dreams that I’ve always wanted to do,” she said.
Ash — a national treasure and a role model both on and off the court — stresses throughout the video that she is confident in her decision and is leaving on a high. Barty retires as a three-time Grand Slam champion at the age of 25. She will speak further on the decision in a press conference on Thursday.