Ashleigh Barty admits she is positively surprised by how comfortable she has felt with her decision to retire at a very young age. After winning her third Grand Slam at the 2022 Australian Open, Barty announced a shock retirement from tennis at age of 25 in March.
It has been nine months since Barty walked away from pro tennis and since then she has been asked several times whether there are any chances of seeing her back on the court one day. In an interview with The New York Times, Barty suggested that she is at peace with her decision and that she is not contemplating a return to pro tennis.
Barty: Surprised how comfortable I’ve been
“To be honest, I think what has surprised me most is how comfortable I’ve been. I think there was probably a normal fear or uncertainty in not knowing what my life would look like after tennis after being so focused.
I was a bit unsure how I would deal with that because I am a person who likes to be organised. There was probably a little bit of fear in that, but overall, that hasn’t been an issue, a concern or a worry. What’s been most surprising in a good way is that I’ve slipped quite seamlessly into this life that’s just like everyone else, which is kind of always what I wanted.
The more time I’ve had to sit and think and absorb this year, I think it is never in the sense of me competing professionally again. But I’ll never not be involved in the sport. So I think that’s where I’ll always get my tennis fix, that taste of the sport that gave me so much,” Barty told The New York Times.
In the summer of 2021, Barty accomplished her childhood dream of winning Wimbledon. In her retirement press conference, Barty admitted that there was no motivation left after she became a Wimbledon champion. In the end, Barty finished her career with three Grand Slams and she was the top-ranked player in the world at the moment of her retirement announcement.
Many were disappointed by Barty’s shock retirement as the Australian was still in her prime and a dominant force in the game.
