Ashleigh Barty Retiring!

[TiScape]

Just heard this news. I was shocked. Current #1 ranked women’s player in the world and just won the Australian Open in February. Only 25yo. 
 

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-60843870

[ZAP]

If I had enough money when I was 25 I would have walked away too.  Of course sometimes when someone chases number one in the world and then gets there the realization sets in that there is more to life than that.

[TiScape]

IDK. Only 25yo and #1 in the world... I have never heard of another healthy player in a major sport walking away so young while holding the #1 world ranking. Definitely very unusual. My initial thought was her passion to continue competing at that level just isn’t there. She stepped away from tennis in 2014 for two years to play cricket. So definitely could be something to that. 

[vandyfan]

Between her and Osaka it is like the best female tennis players don't like tennis? Maybe it is burn out from playing and practicing like a pro since you were a pre-teen?

[GHIN n Juice]

I can only imagine how grueling a tennis career is, even at a young age.  Tennis players seem to be groomed for their careers at a much earlier age than most other professional athletes. The exhaustion plus the travel must make for a lonely existence for many.  I applaud her ability to say enough is enough before it took her down a dark path.

[9thGreenAt9]

tennis is a grueling sport, the running and stopping and all the pressure on the knees and joints...25 must feel like 40 in golf. congrats to her, she just won her national open and is world #1, she's on top of Everest! what more do you want? 

[TiScape]

43 minutes ago, golf_junkie_85 said:

Tennis is a grueling sport, the running and stopping and all the pressure on the knees and joints… 25 must feel like 40 in golf. congrats to her, she just won her national open and is world #1, she's on top of Everest! what more do you want? 

Absolutely. Which is why I am in awe of the likes of Nadal, Federer and Williams to name a few. 

Edited March 25, 2022 by TiScape

[golfortennis]

On 3/25/2022 at 3:07 PM, GHIN n Juice said:

I can only imagine how grueling a tennis career is, even at a young age.  Tennis players seem to be groomed for their careers at a much earlier age than most other professional athletes. The exhaustion plus the travel must make for a lonely existence for many.  I applaud her ability to say enough is enough before it took her down a dark path.

 

Late to this party, but yes.  There are people who believe you will not be a champion if you didn't have a racquet in your hands by the age of 5.  Barty had already stepped away from tennis once in her career.  It's grueling, and with the type of courts now(not only slow, but homogenized), it's a lot of ball bashing that can get real tiresome, both to watch and play.  

 

Apparently she has some game on the golf course as well as cricket.  She may not be retiring from athletic endeavors.

 

 

[JungleJimbo]

17 minutes ago, golfortennis said:

 

Late to this party, but yes.  There are people who believe you will not be a champion if you didn't have a racquet in your hands by the age of 5.  Barty had already stepped away from tennis once in her career.  It's grueling, and with the type of courts now(not only slow, but homogenized), it's a lot of ball bashing that can get real tiresome, both to watch and play.  

 

Apparently she has some game on the golf course as well as cricket.  She may not be retiring from athletic endeavors.

 

 

yes @Rapidcat and @Golf Dinoshared some nice details wrt Ash Barty’s Golfing proficiency on another LPGA thread (and comparisons vs other early-retirees dabbling in other sports) ... Linked below

  (she won her local Golf club championships a few years ago, handicap <4hcp and has a decent swing)... but presumably she won’t want to trade the ‘grind’ of the pro tennis tour (where at least she had the privileges/ comforts of being top  of the totem pole)... for starting at the bottom-rungs of the women’s pro Golf tour

 

 

 

Edited April 4, 2022 by JungleJimbo

[TiScape]

She’s an elite athlete, with elite hand eye coordination. Tennis, Cricket, golf, table tennis, softball… I’m sure she could have been elite at any or all of them. 

[iBanesto]

On 3/25/2022 at 4:55 AM, TiScape said:

IDK. Only 25yo and #1 in the world... I have never heard of another healthy player in a major sport walking away so young while holding the #1 world ranking. Definitely very unusual. My initial thought was her passion to continue competing at that level just isn’t there. She stepped away from tennis in 2014 for two years to play cricket. So definitely could be something to that. 

 

Justine Henin retired at World No. 1 at 28 years old.

 

But there have been several women players such as Hingis (22 years old) and Clijsters (23) who both retired whilst in still in the top 10. However, all 3 did make a successful comeback to tennis.

 

I'll bet Barty will make a comeback to the tour in a few years.

Edited April 9, 2022 by iBanesto

[iBanesto]

Different game but Lorena Ochoa did retire at 28 during her dominant peak.

 

[TiScape]

22 minutes ago, iBanesto said:

 

Justine Henin retired at World No. 1 at 28 years old.

 

But there have been several women players such as Hingis (22 years old) and Clijsters (23) who both retired whilst in still in the top 10. However, all 3 did make a successful comeback to tennis.

 

I'll bet Barty will make a comeback to the tour in a few years.

Henin retired due a chronic elbow injury. So not really the same.

[iBanesto]

Comparable to Borg in a sense as they were both physically burnt out.

 

Borg retired at 26 and made a comeback using in the early 90's using a wooden racquet 😂.

 

As mentioned above the sport is grueling and Barty had a serious hip injury that forced her out for part of 2021.

 

It is amazing Nadal, Federer and Djokovic has played for this long even with injuries.