Media day at the Miami Open is usually about the upcoming tournament and what lies ahead but there was another prominent topic this year – Ash Barty.
The three-time Grand Slam champion has stunned the tennis world by announcing her retirement at the tender age of 25. Barty’s decision to step away from the sport occurrs at the time when she is the current world No.1, as well as the reigning champion at two Grand Slam tournaments (Wimbledon and the Australian Open). Explaining her decision, the Australian said in a video interview uploaded to her Instagram account that she wanted to enjoy the next phrase of her life as ‘as Ash Barty the person, not Ash Barty the athlete.’
Inevitably Barty’s retirement will have ramifications for the women’s Tour. Out of nowhere Indian Wells champion Iga Switek now finds herself on the verge of claiming the world No.1 ranking when her rival is officially removed next week. Raising questions about if the Pole is ready to deal with the increased spotlight of being No.1 will have on her.
“She’s even saying that she doesn’t expect people to understand that because it’s a pretty unusual situation,” Swiatek said of Barty’s retirement. “I really respect and I really think she’s brave that she has made this decision because with all the expectations around, I mean, there are not many people who would stop at this point and put their happiness in the first place.
“I think that’s an example not only for us tennis players or other athletes, but every person that they should put their own happiness. If they are satisfied or not satisfied, they should think about their goals, not really what the world thinks. But that’s really hard when you’re a professional athlete. That’s why I really respect that.”
It is only the second time since the formation of the WTA Tour that a player has announced their retirement whilst at the top of the rankings. The first was Justin Henin, who did so in 2008 before returning two years later.
Barty’s last competitive match was in the final of the Australian Open when she defeated Danielle Collins to become the first home player to win the women’s title since 1978. The American is making a return to the Tour in Miami after missing a month due to illness. Reacting to Barty’s retirement, Collins explained why she believes the situation is a true testament of how tennis ‘empowers women.’
“I think for someone to retire at 25, I think it really speaks to the way our sport empowers women,” she said. “I think it’s just incredible for her to have achieved what she’s achieved on court, to now be able to enjoy the rest of her life. All of the hard work, she certainly was all of that, deserves happy retirement, and hopefully she can have a great life off the court.
“I know she probably has many more goals she wants to fulfill. I’m sure that she’s going to be able to do that with all the success that she’s had. Yeah, I think it’s so cool being able to retire at 25. What other profession would you be able to do that in? There’s not too many. I think it’s incredible for our sport.”
Another player to speak of their admiration for Barty’s decision is Naomi Osaka, who kicked off her Miami Open campaign on Wednesday with a straight sets victory. Osaka, who is just 18 months younger than the Australian, said leaving the sport whilst at the top was an ‘ideal’ way to go.
“That’s something I feel like she was super amazing for the sport, for me in particular. I just really loved watching her. Yeah, I think what she did was ideal. I think it’s cool to, like, leave the game when you’re No. 1. You feel like you have nothing left to prove, you feel like you accomplished everything that you wanted to.” Osaka commented.
Looking ahead Barty is keeping coy about what she will be doing outside of tennis. However, some of her peers believe her legacy could help inspire the next generation of players on the Tour, including US Open finalist Leylah Fernandez.
“I’m just happy for everything that she’s accomplished, and the great role model she is to not only the players but also to the next generation,” Fernandez said. “I see how she works. I see how professional she is. I know what is my next step, what I need to do to hopefully achieve what she has done.”
US Open champion Emma Raducanu also took note of Barty’s decision to take breaks throughout her career. The most notable being between 2014-2016 when she briefly embarked upon a career in professional cricket. Those breaks did wonders for Barty’s mentaility and her game. Something Raducanu can relate to.
“I think that definitely probably helped,” she said. “If you get oversaturated with one thing, it’s not healthy with anything you do. I feel like that just shows, if you take time off, you come back, you’re hungry, you’re ready. She basically cleaned up when she came back.
“I took 18 months off in 2020. I started in 2021. Because I had that desire to really be out there on the court, I was so hungry, I feel like I had some great results last summer as well. Yeah, it just shows you don’t need to be only tennis, tennis, tennis.”
Barty ends her career with 15 WTA singles titles and a further 12 in the doubles. She has earned more prize money in her career ($23,829,071) than any other Australian player – male or female – in history.
