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sports Thursday 24 March 2022
Top-ranked Barty retires at 25, goes out on her own terms

By DENNIS PASSA Park in January, becoming She spent 121 weeks at No. bourne. ning five titles, including at
AP Sports Writer the first Australian player in 1 in the rankings, including One year later, she was Wimbledon, Barty ended
BRISBANE, Australia (AP) 44 years to triumph at the the last 114 in a row. ranked No. 88; by the end her season abruptly after a
— Ash Barty did things on nation's Grand Slam tour- Her announcement was all of 2017, Barty was an es- loss to Shelby Rogers at the
her own terms as she won nament. the more stunning from an tablished member of the U.S. Open.
three Grand Slam singles "Wimbledon last year
titles and spent more than changed a lot for me as a
two consecutive years at person and for me as an
No. 1 in the women's tennis athlete," Barty said. "When
rankings. you work so hard your
She retired on her own whole life for one goal —
terms, too. At the age of 25, to be able to win Wimble-
just two months after win- don, which was my dream,
ning the Australian Open the one true dream that I
title. wanted in tennis, that really
The announcement changed my perspective."
stunned the tennis world on She described what she
Wednesday. termed a "gut feeling" after
"I just know at the moment, Wimbledon about maybe
in my heart, for me as a being ready to move on,
person, this is right," Barty but she also described
said, her voice shaky at herself then as not "quite
times, during a six-minute fulfilled." Her victory at the
video posted on her Insta- Australian Open satisfied
gram account Wednesday another gap, and Barty
in Australia. said she was completely
Saying it was time to "chase aware that "my happiness
other dreams," Barty, who wasn't dependent on the
announced her engage- results."
ment to trainee golf profes- Barty was one of the most
sional Garry Kissick in No- popular players on tour,
vember, said she no longer and many praised her in
feels compelled to do what retirement on Wednesday.
she knows is required to be "Ash, what can I say, you
the best she can be at ten- know I have tears right?"
nis. tweeted Simona Halep.
"It's the first time I've actually "My friend, I will miss you
said it out loud and, yeah, on tour. You were differ-
it's hard to say," Barty said ent, and special, and we
during an informal interview shared some amazing mo-
with her former doubles ments . . . Be happy and
partner, Casey Dellacqua. enjoy your life to the max."
"I don't have the physical Madision Keys posted: "An
drive, the emotional want Ash Barty of Australia poses with the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup at a park, the morning after incredible tennis player but
and everything it takes to defeating Danielle Collins of the U.S. in the women's singles final at the Australian Open tennis more importantly one of
challenge yourself at the championships in Melbourne on Jan. 30, 2022. the nicest people on tour."
very top level any more. I Associated Press Alicia Molik, coach of Aus-
am spent." tralia's Billie Jean King Cup
This is not the first time Barty team, said Barty's decision
walked away from tennis: But she hasn't played a on-court perspective given top 20. "I know I've done was "unusual, retiring at the
She was the Wimbledon tournament since being her recent run of success: this before," Barty said with top."
junior champion at age 15 presented with her Austra- Barty had won 25 of her last a laugh in the retirement "It's pretty gutsy, it's pretty
in 2011, presaging a prom- lian Open trophy by seven- 26 matches and three of video, "but in a very differ- noble," Molik said. "What an
ising professional career, time Grand Slam singles her past four events. ent feeling. I'm so grate- athlete, what a trailblazer
but left the tour entirely for champion Evonne Goo- Only one other woman ful to everything that ten- and what a role model."
nearly two years in 2014 lagong Cawley, her men- has walked away from the nis has given me. It's given Andy Murray tweeted:
because of burnout, over- tor and Indigenous and sport while atop the WTA me all of my dreams, plus "Happy for (at) ashbarty,
whelmed by the pressure Australian tennis icon, after rankings: Justine Henin was more, but I know that the gutted for tennis, what a
and travel required. a straight-sets final victory No. 1 when she retired in time is right now for me to player."
She played professional over Danielle Collins. May 2008. step away and chase other Barty's closing words, at
cricket back home in Aus- "I am so supportive of Ash In a statement released by dreams and to, yeah, put least for now — she plans
tralia, then eventually that she does what makes the WTA, CEO Steve Simon the rackets down." a media conference in Bris-
picked up a racket once her happy," Goolagong called Barty "the ultimate A semifinal loss to Petra bane on Thursday — came
again and returned to her Cawley told The Associat- competitor." Kvitova in Doha in Febru- at the end of the video.
other sport. ed Press. "I can't wait to see During her 21-month sab- ary was the last match "I'll never, ever, ever stop
Barty went on to win singles what happens in the next batical from tennis as a she played in 2020; Barty loving tennis," she said. "It
major championships on chapter of Ash's life, and teen, Barty played cricket stayed home in Australia will always be a massive
three different surfaces — what helps her achieve her with the Brisbane Heat for the balance of the sea- part of my life but now I
on clay at the 2019 French dreams." of the Women's Big Bash son when the global pan- think it's important I get to
Open, on grass at Wimble- Barty won 15 tour-level titles League. She returned to demic emerged. enjoy the next phase of my
don last year and on the in singles and 12 in doubles tennis in May 2016, playing After six months on the life as Ash Barty the person,
hard courts of Melbourne since first turning pro in 2010. a $50,000 ITF event in East- road in 2021 and after win- not Ash Barty the athlete."q