Ash Barty is one of tennis’ most curious cases, but at her best, she was near-unstoppable.
After all, despite enjoying a hugely promising junior career, where she rose to second in the world and won the 2011 junior Wimbledon championships, late in the 2014 season, she took a break.
Few could possibly have predicted that this would be a sign of things to come, but the way in which she transitioned into cricket, with no formal training, spoke volumes for her athleticism.
Returning in 2016, it took just three years for her to claim her maiden singles Grand Slam title, before winning another in 2021. Her final major came in January of 2022, as she claimed the ultimate prize in her home country.
Shockingly, just as she had done eight years earlier, Barty called time on her career. This time, for good.
What Chris Evert said about Ash Barty after she won the 2022 Australian Open
What makes this decision so stunning is the fact that nobody saw it coming.
Other than that 2014 hiatus, there had been no suggestion that this was on the way. Chris Evert, in particular, was completely blindsided, given the prediction she had made just months before that March retirement.
She told TNT Sports: “The Career Grand Slam is huge.
“It takes the pressure off. It’s like you win two, you’re going for the third and then when you win that, you’d hate to end your career winning three out of the four… you’ve just got to go for that last elusive fourth one and make it complete… then you’re a complete champion.
“If I were to put money on anybody achieving it today, it would be (Ash) Barty because she’s got an all-court game, great defence and offence. She’s proven that by winning Wimbledon, she’s great on fast surfaces and by winning the French Open, she’s great on slow surfaces, so she’s going to be good on the surfaces that are midway between those two extremes.
“It’s tougher right now because there’s just such more depth. In our day, it would be someone in the Top 4 winning a Grand Slam, but now it’s someone in the Top 30 – or even look at Emma (Raducanu) at the US Open! I would admire somebody even more if they did win the four today.”
Why did Ash Barty retire from tennis in 2022?
Announcing her retirement marked a hugely emotional moment for the Australian, who did so with a very heavy heart.
This was no easy decision for her, but one that she felt was right.
The 29-year-old claimed: “There’s no right way, there’s no wrong way. It’s just my way. And this is perfect for me to share it with you, to talk to you about it with my team, my loved ones that I will be retiring from tennis.”
She then admitted: “I know I’ve done this before but in a very different feeling.
Higher or Lower – Tennis Grand Slam Quiz
“But I know that the time is right for me to step away and chase other dreams and to put the racquets down.”
Barty was just 25 years old, and on top of the world. Yet she still looked to the future.
In fact, Barty chose the player she wanted to take her world number one spot in the future after her retirement.
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