Ashleigh Barty left the entire tennis fraternity startled after announcing her shock retirement from tennis. She was at the peak of her career and had many glorious years ahead of her. Moreover, she had just won the Australian Open earlier this year and held the Number 1 ranking in women’s singles.

After winning the opening Grand Slam of the season, Barty decided to skip the ‘Sunshine Double’ owing to health issues. Subsequently, she announced her retirement in an Instagram post. Earlier today, the Australian opened up on her sudden retirement.

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Ashleigh Barty reveals there’s nothing to hide

The 25-year-old held a media conference to clear the air regarding her shock retirement. She said, “I’m an open book, I’m not hiding anything. I’ve got no secrets. I am just so proud of all of the work that I’ve done with my team, we’ve done this together right from the start, have enjoyed every single minute and like I said, we have no regrets. We’ve achieved so much together and it’s been a lot of fun along the way.”

Barty’s sudden retirement left her fans and the entire tennis fraternity shell-shocked. Social media was buzzing with congratulatory messages for her. Furthermore, her fellow players like Simona Halep, Naomi Osaka, Andy Murray wished her good luck for her future endeavors.

However, this is not the first time Barty has quit tennis. She was on a sabbatical from the game during the latter half of 2014. During the period, Barty even played cricket. She joined the Brisbane Heat to play in the inaugural Women’s Big Bash League in 2015.

Barty returned to tennis in Mid-2016. She had been on an uprise since, winning three Grand Slam singles titles. Adding to her singles achievements, the Australian also clinched the 2018 US Open women’s doubles title with partner CoCo Vandeweghe. She has also tasted success at the Olympics, winning a bronze medal in mixed doubles at the Tokyo Olympics.

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As the news about Barty’s retirement has slowly sunk in, what are your favorite moments from her illustrious tennis career? Let us know your views in the comments below.