Ashleigh Barty announces shock retirement from tennis at age 25 and as World No. 1

World No. 1 Ashleigh Barty has made a shock announcement that she will retire from professional tennis at the age of just 25. The Australian star, who became the first home player to win an Australian Open singles title in 44 years in January, shocked the sporting world on social media on Wednesday as she said she was leaving to «chase other dreams».

Ad/> Barty shared the news via a video posted on Instagram in which she sat down and chatted with her good friend and retired Australian tennis player Casey Dellacqua about the decision. WTA MiamiSwiatek aims to repeat Williams feat with 'Sunshine Double' in Miami20 HOURS AGO «Today is difficult and filled with emotion for me as I announce my retirement from tennis,» Barty, who has French Open, Wimbledon and Australian Open titles to her name, said in the conversation. «I'm so happy and I'm so ready.

And I just know at the moment in my heart, for me as a person, this is right. »I wasn't sure how to share this news with you so I asked my good friend [Dellacqua] to help me. «I am so thankful for everything this sport has given me and leave feeling proud and fulfilled.

»Thank you to everyone who has supported me along the way, I'll always be grateful for the lifelong memories we created together." /> The Queenslander admitted that she had been thinking about retiring “for a long time”. “That’s the first time I’ve said it out loud, and it’s hard to say,” Barty said about her retirement. “But I am so happy, and I’m so ready, and I just know at the moment in my heart [that] for me as a person, this is right.