The start of the 2022 season will be much remembered for off-court events rather than on-court moments. The year began with Novak Djokovic’s controversy at the Australian Open due to which he failed to defend his title Down Under. Recently, the women’s singles World Number 1, Ashleigh Barty, sent shockwaves across the tennis circuit with her sudden retirement decision. It was completely unexpected from Barty, who was at the prime of her career.

Subsequently, social media was filled with congratulatory messages for Barty for an illustrious tennis career. Moreover, her fellow players wished her luck in her future endeavors. Recently, the former World Number 1 and Romanian tennis legend, Ilie Nastase, opened up on Barty’s shock retirement.

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Ilie Nastase reveals Ashleigh Barty retired too early

The Romanian great, who won two Grand Slam titles, spoke about Barty’s retirement, using Roger Federer as an example. He said, “It seems to me that [s]he retired too early! I don’t agree with what all people in sports say, that you have to retire when you have the best performance. That’s stupid, in my opinion!”

Further, he added, “If you are writing the best book now and you are retiring, what does that mean, that you should give up just because you wrote the best book ?! Retire when you want! Take a look at Federer! He retreats when his muscles want! He is almost 41 years old and wants to continue playing. He’s proven who he is and now there’s no need to prove anything else! Play for fun.” (Translated using Google Translate)

Barty was in the form of her life, having clinched her first Australian Open title earlier this year. She was amongst the most consistent players on the women’s circuit over the past few years. Moreover, being on an 11-match winning streak, she was unbeaten this year, before announcing her decision to quit tennis.

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Earlier this month, Barty decided to skip the BNP Paribas Open and the Miami Open due to health issues. That might have been one of the reasons behind her decision to call it quits. Nonetheless, Barty will always be remembered for her audacious display on the tennis court!