Know Career Record, Titles and Highest Ranking

Ashleigh Barty Retirement: World number one Ashleigh Barty shocked the world on March 23, 2022 by announcing early retirement from tennis at the age of 25 years. She dropped the big announcement just weeks after she became the first Australian to win Australian Open in 44 years. 

The tennis star made the announcement through a video message on her Instagram page. In an extremely emotional message, Barty said “Today is difficult and filled with emotion for me as I announce my retirement from tennis. 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 that we created together.”

“I am so happy, so ready and I just know at the moment in my heart that this is right for me as a person. I so grateful for everything that tennis has given me. I know the time is right for me to step away and chase other dreams,” Barty said in the video. 

Why did Ashleigh Barty retire?

The three-time Grand Slam champion said that it was something she had been thinking about for a long time. She said that she has had a lot of incredible moments in her career. “Wimbledon last year changed a lot of things for me as a person and athlete. To be able to win Wimbledon, my one true dream, really changed my perspective. I just had a gut feeling after Wimbledon and had spoken to my team quite a lot about it and there was just a little part of me that wasn’t quite so satisfied or fulfilled,” Barty said. 

“I think winning the Australian Open feels like the most perfect way to celebrate what an amazing journey my tennis career has been. As a person, this is what I want, I want to chase after some other dreams that I have always wanted to do,” Barty explained in the video.

Ashleigh Barty has become the 4th player in the Open Era to retire after a Grand Slam win:

Flavia Pennetta (won 2015 US Open)

Marion Bartoli (won 2013 Wimbledon)

Ann Jones (won 1969 Wimbledon)

Ashleigh Barty: Career Record, Titles, Highest Ranking

• Ashleigh Barty is currently ranked world no. 1 in women’s singles ranking. She is the 7th in the list of women tennis players with longest consecutive weeks at World No. 1 position:

1. Steffi Graf (377)

2. Martina Navratilova (332)

3. Serena Williams (319)

4. Chris Evert (260)

5. Martina Hingis (209)

6. Monica Seles (178)

7. Ashleigh Barty (119)

• Ashleigh Barty is a three-time Grand Slam singles champion and reigning Wimbledon and Australian Open champion. 
• She won the French Open in 2019, Australian Open in 2022 and Wimbledon in 2021. 
• She also achieved a career-high ranking of world no. 5 in doubles ranking. She had won the 2018 US Open Doubles title with CoCo Vandeweghe.
• Overall, Ashleigh Barty has won 15 singles titles and 12 doubles titles on the WTA Tour.
• She had a promising junior career and had reached a career-high rank of world no. 2 after winning the girls’ singles title at Wimbledon in 2011. 

Early Career

Ashleigh Barty had begun playing tennis at the age of 4 in Brisbane. She had early success in tennis as a teenager, ending up as the runner-up at three Grand Slam doubles events with veteran Casey Dellacqua including the Australian Open when she was just 16.

Temporary Break, Cricket and Return

Barty decided to take an indefinite break from tennis in 2014 and she played cricket during the break despite having no formal training. She was signed up with Brisbane Heat for the inaugural Women’s Big Bash League season.

Ashleigh Barty returned to tennis in early 2016 and had a breakthrough year in singles in 2017.