“Today is a challenging and emotional day for me as I announce my retirement from tennis,” the 25-year-old Australian wrote in a caption to an Instagram post on Wednesday.
“I am so grateful for everything this sport has given me and I leave feeling proud and satisfied. Thanks to everyone who has supported me along the way, I will always be grateful for the lifetime memories we created together.”
The post included a video filmed by former Australian tennis player Casey Dellacqua in which Barty further explains his decision.
“At the second stage of my career, there was a shift in my point of view: my happiness did not depend on the results, and success for me is the realization that I gave absolutely everything I could,” she said.
“I know how much work it takes to get the best out of myself. I have repeatedly spoken about this to my team, it’s just that I don’t have it anymore. want and all it takes to challenge myself to the very top of the level and I just know that I’m exhausted. I just know that physically I have nothing more to give. This is a success for me.”
She added that she thought about ending her career “for a long time” and the decision came after winning Wimbledon last year and the Australian Open this year. These victories were “my perfect way to celebrate what an amazing journey my tennis career has been,” she said.
The decision was difficult but felt right, she said. “Ash Barty the human has so many dreams that she wants to pursue that don’t necessarily involve traveling the world, not having my family, not having my home where I always wanted to be. “
The Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) confirmed her departure in a press release.
“Ashleigh Barty, with her trademark backhand, complemented by being the top competitor, has always set an example with her unwavering professionalism and sportsmanship that she brings to every match,” WTA Chairman and CEO Steve Simon said in a press release. .
“Through her accomplishments at Grand Slams, WTA Finals and reaching the top of the world No. 1 rankings, she has clearly established herself as one of the great WTA champions.”
Barty has won three major singles titles: 2019 French Open, 2021 Wimbledon and 2022 Australian Open. In total, she won 15 WTA Tour singles and 12 doubles titles and became the first Australian to win an Australian Open singles title since 1978.
She is only the second active women’s world No. 1 to retire after Justine Henin, who retired in 2008.
Barty, who began her professional tennis career in 2010, took a break from the sport from 2014 to 2016, saying “it was too fast,” according to a WTA release. She was only 18 at the time and wanted to “experience life like a normal teenage girl,” she said.
She returned to tennis full-time in 2017 and has continued to dominate the sport, winning 25 of her last 26 matches.