Ashleigh Barty shocked the world today with her sudden announcement. She revealed that she will retire from professional tennis. This is even more difficult to digest because she is not only just 25 years of age but also at the top of the WTA rankings, consistently for quite some time now.

While the 3 time Grand Slam winner is not a stranger to the concept of burnout, having to face it in the early stages of her career, no one imagined that her retirement will come so soon, given the terrific form she has been in. Most recently, she became the first Australian woman to win the Australian Open, since 1978, and she achieved this feat by not dropping a set.

A lot of fellow players and former players sent her messages of support. A notable one amongst them was the former champion, Billie Jean King.

Read More: Australian Open Champion Ashleigh Barty Announces Shock Retirement at the Age of 25

Billie Jean King says Ashleigh Barty represented Australia well

Billie Jean King, who herself is one of the greatest players to have ever played the sport, extended her support to Barty. She tweeted her message, tagging Barty.

“Australia has a rich history in tennis, and @ashbarty has represented it so well. I have no doubt she will continue to inspire and make a positive difference in the world. I wish her all the best in this next chapter of her life,” the tweet said.

Ashleigh Barty in an emotional interview with her longtime friend and former doubles partner Casey Dellacqua said that has nothing more to give to tennis, and this shift in perspective came especially after she won the Wimbledon last year. She now wants to create a new identity for herself, which is not only dependent on her life as a professional athlete.

“I’ll never, ever, ever stop loving tennis. It will always be a massive part of my life but now I think it’s important I get to enjoy the next phase of my life as Ash Barty the person, not Ash Barty the athlete,” she said in the interview.

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We wish Barty all the very best for the next phase of her life, and much like Billie Jean King, we are also certain that she will reach satisfaction and success in whatever comes next in her life.