Why has ash barty retired? Australian tennis star's shock choice to quit explained

Telegraph Sport 23 March 2022 10:07am GMT Ash Barty, the world No 1 female tennis player, has announced her retirement from the sport with immediate effect fewer than two months after

winning the Australian Open. The 25-year-old Australian announced in an interview by her close friend and former doubles partner Casey Dellacqua that she has "nothing more to give"

after achieving everything that she wanted in her career, having won three of the four Grand Slam titles at the French Open, Wimbledon and January’s Australian Open. Her announcement

triggered an outpouring of emotional tributes from the tennis world, with players both past and present and officials all quick to send messages of support and congratulations in honour of

her career. Barty explained the reasoning behind the move which has shocked her sport by saying she had achieved her "one true dream" in tennis by winning Wimbledon last year and

then her Australian Open triumph in January provided a "perfect way" to finish her career. Other reasons mentioned by Barty during her interview with Dellacqua include: * Lacking

the "physical drive [and] the emotional want... to challenge at the very top level" * Wanting to "chase other dreams" outside tennis * A desire "to enjoy the next

part of my life as Ash Barty the person, not Ash Barty the athlete" Barty's victory at the All England Club came more than a year after she broke through for her maiden Grand Slam

title at Roland Garros. She beat Karolina Pliskova 6-3 6-7 6-3 in the final, becoming the first Australian woman to hold the Venus Rosewater Dish since her idol and mentor, Evonne Goolagong

Cawley, in 1980. Barty, a three-time Grand Slam singles winner, has held the No 1 ranking for 114 consecutive weeks and leaves the sport as the reigning Wimbledon and Australian Open

champion. ASH BARTY’S STATEMENT IN FULL  "I wasn’t quite sure how I was going to do this but I think there’s so many times in my life - both personal and professional - you’ve been

there for me, and I just couldn’t think.  "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 and talk about it with my team,

my loved ones. I’ll be retiring from tennis, and it’s the first time I’ve actually said it out loud and it’s hard to say. "But I’m so happy and so ready and I just know at the moment in

my heart for me as a person this is right.  "I know I've done this before, but in a different feeling. I'm so grateful for everything tennis has given me. It's given me

all of my dreams, plus more, but I know the time is right now for me to step away and chase other dreams and to put the racquets down." Ash Barty's career in full "It’s

something I’ve been thinking about for a long time, and I’ve had a lot of incredible moments in my career that have been pivotal moments. Wimbledon last year changed a lot for me as a person

and for me as an athlete when you work so hard your whole life for one goal.  "I’ve been lucky enough to share that with so many people, but to be able to win Wimbledon - which was my

dream, the one true dream that I wanted in tennis - that really changed my perspective.  "I just had that gut feeling after Wimbledon and had spoken to my team quite a lot about it and

there was just a little part of me that wasn’t quite satisfied, wasn’t quite fulfilled. Then came the challenge of the Australian Open, and I think that for me just feels like the most

perfect way, my perfect way, to celebrate what an amazing journey my tennis career has been.  > A quite incredible journey to becoming champion, @ashbarty 🏆 > 

pic.twitter.com/PggSQHtLlo > — Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) March 23, 2022 "To celebrate what an amazing journey my tennis career has been, as a person this is what I want, I want to chase

other dreams that I’ve always wanted to do and I’ve always had that really healthy balance, but I’m really, really excited. "There was a perspective shift in me in this second phase of

my career that was my happiness wasn’t dependent on the results, and success for me is knowing that I have given absolutely everything I can. I’m fulfilled, I’m happy and I know how much

work it takes to bring the best out of yourself.  "I’ve said it to my team multiple times (that) I just don’t have that in me anymore. I don't have the physical drive, the

emotional want, and everything it takes to challenge yourself for the very top level any more. I just know that I am absolutely … I am spent. I just know physically I have nothing more to

give and that for me is success. I have given absolutely everything I physically can to this beautiful sport of tennis and I'm really happy with that.  "“For me, that is my success

and I know that people might not understand it, and that’s OK. I’m OK with that because I know that for me Ash Barty the person has so many dreams that she wants to chase after that

don't necessarily involve travelling the world, being away from my family, being away from my home, which is where I've always wanted to be. "It’s where I’ve grown up.

I'll never, ever stop loving tennis, it will always be a massive part of my life, but I think it's important that I get to enjoy the next part of my life as Ash Barty the person,

not Ash Barty the athlete. "It’s scary! It was hard but it’s right and I know that brought me lots of comfort knowing that this is right for me but I’m very excited."