Her best years seemed to have just begun, but that’s over now. The popular Australian exits at the peak. About a sporty all-rounder who ends his tennis career for the second time.
Ashleigh Barty sat in front of the camera in a simple dark blue shirt, a subtle smile playing on her lips. “There is no right or wrong way. It’s just my way,” said the tennis world number one, before surprisingly announcing the end of her career at just 25 years old: “I know in my heart that it’s right for me.”
The reigning Wimbledon and Australian Open winner, the former French Open title holder, the dominant player on the tour suddenly leaves the big stage – and the tennis world is shocked. “It’s the first time I’ve said it out loud and yes it’s hard to say,” the emotional Barty confessed to former doubles partner Casey Dellacqua. But she is “so happy” and “so ready” for the drastic step.
In between she played cricket professionally
She has already resigned from tennis – in 2015. At that time one reason was probably too much pressure. She played cricket professionally instead.
But Barty returned to the yellow felt ball and was difficult to beat with her variable, powerful game. In 2019 she managed the first big coup on the ashes of Paris and jumped to the top of the world rankings, which she has held for 114 weeks so far – only Steffi Graf (186), Serena Williams (186) and Martina Navratilova (156) were longer in one piece at the top.
All-rounder: Ashleigh Barty in 2015 with a cricket bat in a Brisbane Heat jersey. (Source: imago images)
In the Corona peak phase, when she did not travel, she actually simply swapped the tennis racket for the driver and immediately won the amateur championship at Brookwater Golf Club near Brisbane. Barty is an incredible ball talent.
Last year, the athlete from Ipswich/Queensland proved her exceptional status at Wimbledon before finally becoming an icon in her home country with her first home win since 1978 in Melbourne in January of this year.
Resignation at its height: Barty’s famous predecessors
Barty is now probably finally saying goodbye to a phase in her career in which she had the best prospects for further major victories.
It’s a step that experts and observers didn’t see coming. But Barty is by no means the first top athlete to turn her back on her sport at the peak of her creative power. Think of the biathletes Magdalena Neuner and Laura Dahlmeier, who retired at the age of 24 and 25 respectively. Or the American figure skater Tara Lipinski: World champion at 14, Olympic champion at 15 (1998), career end at 16.
Why did Barty, who is engaged to former Australian golf pro Garry Kissick, make the move? Certainly also because she has fulfilled her lifelong dream as an athlete: winning “her” Australian Open. Their statements indicate that working towards this triumph was incredibly taxing on both mind and body. The expectations of the popular power woman were huge in her home country. Now she has delivered and the great pressure, the tension fell off her.
Dream fulfilled: Barty kisses the Australian Open winner’s trophy at the end of January. (Credit: ZUMA Wire/imago images)
Barty: I’m “absolutely exhausted”
But now she no longer feels this “physical drive, the emotional desire and somehow everything you need to challenge yourself at the highest level”. She just knew that she was “absolutely used up,” said Barty: “I know that physically I had nothing left to give, and that’s success for me.”
She knows “that there will be people who don’t understand it”, but she is sure “that the time is right” to resign and “pursue other dreams”. Success is knowing “that I gave absolutely everything”. She was “fulfilled” and “I know how much work it takes to get the best out of yourself”.
The cracking forehand cross to win the title at the Australian Open remains the last taste of Ash Barty’s excellent game. She leaves top tennis with a smile – and her sport loses an outstanding athlete and ambassador.