There was a feeling of shock throughout the sporting world when leading women’s tennis player Ashleigh Barty announced that she was retiring from the sport at the age of 25. Just a few months earlier, she had won her home Grand Slam, the Australian Open, and it seemed as though she was riding the crest of a wave as far as her form was concerned. With three Grand Slam titles to her name, Barty had the potential to become a true legend of tennis.
But then came the bombshell, and suddenly one of the world’s best players will no longer be taking to the court at this year’s French Open, Wimbledon or US Open championships. There is a suggestion that Barty will one day return to the sport, but at the moment tennis fans will have to analyse the online betting with other names in mind.
While Barty’s decision comes as a shock to the average sports fan, for those who have watched her career closely there is a sense that this was always a possibility. For one, the Australian has interests in other sports, such as cricket and golf. Her retirement from tennis means she can focus on those other areas that she hasn’t been able to devote time to over the last few years.
Barty’s break from tennis during the early days of the coronavirus pandemic proved that she was not afraid of taking an extended sabbatical from the sport, and it was perhaps during that time away that she decided that the lifestyle of a busy professional tennis player was too demanding. Indeed, she had previously taken a two-year break from the sport back in 2014, so that she could play cricket for the Brisbane Heat.
Even with Barty’s numerous interests outside of tennis, there are many who have questioned why she would want to abandon a sport where she was enjoying so much success. There was an opportunity for the Australian to dominate tennis and write her name in the history books as one of the greatest of all time, but now she has chosen to leave it all behind.
Some might look at that as a lack of ambition, but then Barty has a duty to make the decision that is best for her personally. The mental and physical toll of playing professional tennis every week can’t be underestimated, and if that is getting in the way of things that would make her happy, then it’s easy to see why she made the call to retire early.
Such a move is not unprecedented in women’s tennis. Both Kim Clijsters and Justine Henin retired early from the sport, although it’s important that both returned to tennis after a couple of years away. It will be interesting to see if absence makes the heart grow fonder for Barty, and you wouldn’t rule her out from making a comeback at some stage in the future.
For the moment, Barty seems content with her decision, and although tennis fans may be disappointed, it will be exciting to see what the future has in store for the 25-year-old.
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