Ash Barty, the No. 1 ranked women’s tennis player in the world, made a shocking decision to retire at the age of 25. Barty, who just recently won her third career Grand Slam, announced the decision via her social media.
In a video posted on Instagram, Barty said that she no longer feels willing to make sacrifices that are required to play the sport on a high level. The Australian also added that she wants to “chase other dreams.”
“I don’t have the physical drive, the emotional want, and everything it takes to challenge yourself at the very top of the level any more,” Barty explained. “I am spent.”
Ash Barty walks away as the three-time Grand Slam winner and a reigning champion at Wimbledon and the Australian Open. She has a total of 15 career titles and a career record of 305–102. Barty also walks away as just the eighth female player to pick up a Grand Slam title on three different surfaces.
The most recent major trophy for Barty came earlier this year when she became the first Australian to win the singles title at the Australian Open since Chris O’Neil did it in 1978. Moreover, she did it in a dominant fashion, never surrendering a set while failing to hold her opponent under four games just once.
Barty becomes just the second woman to retire from professional tennis while at the top. The other is Justine Henin, who also retired as a 25-year-old player back in 2008. Hennin’s retirement lasted 16 months, after which she made a short comeback in 2010 before retiring a year later.
