Ash Barty retirement draws tributes from Serena Williams, Naomi Osaka, Pat Rafter, Billie Jean King and others across the tennis world

Current and former tennis greats have delivered a chorus of tributes to Australia's Ash Barty after her shock move to retire from the game.

Barty stunned the tennis world on Wednesday with her announcement via social media that she was ending her career immediately, less than two months after winning the Australian Open title.

The three-time major winner will face the media to talk more about her decision in Brisbane at 1pm AEDT.

American tennis great Serena Williams — who is one of the few players on tour never to have lost to the Queenslander — took to social media to share her thoughts.

"@ashbarty I can't lie I was sad to read your decision but also happy for your new chapter," she wrote on Twitter.

«Always your fan close up and afar. Sending all my love.»

A more recent rival for Barty's world number one ranking, Naomi Osaka, paid tribute to the Australian for her work ethic and the way she treated other players.

«This morning when I saw the news of Barty retiring, it made me quite sad,» Osaka said at the Miami Open tournament.

«We're not really … I can't say we're friends, more like workplace acquaintances, but I just really admired her for how hard she worked and just how nice she was to everyone.

»So I kind of wanted to be more like her and I wanted to feel like she probably feels now, which is like she left everything on the court and she has no regrets."

Australian Open winner Ash Barty announces her shock retirement from tennis via social media.

Two-time US Open champion and fellow Queenslander Pat Rafter was 30 when he retired from top-flight tennis, and he said touring life was particularly hard for Australian players.

«When you're travelling those distances all the time to play tournaments, you are sort of stuck there,»