Ashleigh Barty: The Person Before The Athlete
Written by Oluwaseun Oyediji
As the world of tennis continues to come to grips with the surprising retirement of World No. 1 Ash Barty, her competitors flooded social media with tributes to the star.
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Serena Williams tweeted: “I can’t lie I was sad to read your decision but also happy for your new chapter. Always your fan close up and afar. Sending all my love.”
Ons Jabeur said: “You are a true inspiration. You will be missed on tour. A true legend. I wish you all the best for what’s coming next.”
Barty’s opponents didn’t pretend they’d miss facing her impressive serve and return game, but she clearly earned their respect for her character on and off the court.
Shelby Rogers tweeted: “What a legend. Incredible inspiration on and off the court. One of the best human beings I’ve ever met.”
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Petra Kvitova said: “Ash, I have no words… actually you are showing your true class leaving tennis in this beautiful way. I am so happy I could share the court with you.. tennis will never be the same without you! I admire you as a player and a person.. wishing you only the best!”
Barty’s on-court achievements are plentiful, and she leaves the sport on top:
She’s the first woman in the Open era to win each of her first three major final appearances, retiring with three Grand Slam titles.
She holds 15 overall singles titles and a career singles record of 305-102.
Her 114 consecutive weeks as the World No. 1 place her among the greats, and she showed no signs of slowing down after a dominant run at this year’s Australian Open.
Barty later confirmed she would remove herself from the world rankings before the next cycle, which starts after the Miami Open comes to an end early next month.
This puts Iga Swiatek in the best position to take over the World No. 1 ranking fresh off her title win at Indian Wells.
Barty said of Swiatek: “There’s no better person. She’s an incredible person, a great tennis player, and the way she’s brought this fresh fearless energy onto the court is incredible.”
Meanwhile…
Barty will be remembered for her play, but it’s clear that those who know her best value who she is as a person most of all.
Her healthy sense of perspective is likely what led her to walk away from tennis at age 25, and it’s also what made her one of the most gracious competitors in WTA history.
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