The new life of the Australian Ashleigh Barty after her surprise retirement from tennis: golf champion

At the end of last month the world of rackets was shaken by the surprise announcement of the retirement of the wonderful player australian Ashleigh Barty, barely 25 years old and at that time number 1 in the WTA ranking. In her statement, made just two months after winning the Australian Open, the athlete explained that tennis had fulfilled “every possible dream” and that the time had come to “walk away and pursue other dreams.” She did not specify what her new wishes are but, for now, he once again stood out in sports, although now in golf.

After leaving the circuit, it was soon speculated that Barty (winner of the three Grand Slam singles finals she played: Roland Garros 2019, Wimbledon 2021 and Australia 2022) could dedicate herself to professional golf or even to cricketextremely popular activity in Australia in which he had a step in 2015. In the last hours, Barty participated in a local context tournament at the Brookwater Golf and Country Club, near Brisbane, Queensland, and won first place.

How much money did Barty receive for winning the golf title? Some 30 Australian dollarswhich are very far from the US$ 2.8 million that he pocketed after winning the first Grand Slam of this season. Of course, his participation in the golf tournament was not -nor will it be- for financial reasons. Barty, who left the tennis circuit in full swing and with the resources to continue to dominate beyond the threat of youngsters like Polish Iga Swiatek, was always characterized by having a facility for sports. She is passionate about different physical activities and it is usual to see her in Australian stadiums enjoying various sporting events.

Among the different reactions generated by the surprise retirement of Barty (a very loved person in the world of tennis), one of them -in a certain way- anticipated a future as a golfer. It was the Romanian Simona Halep who speculated on the next steps of the Australian. “Ash, what can I say, you know I have tears, right? My friend, I will miss you on tour. You were different and special, and we shared some amazing moments. What’s next for you? Grand Slam champion in golf? Be happy and enjoy your life to the fullest”, the current number 20 in the ranking wrote on Twitter.

Bartywhich first climbed to the top of the ranking on June 24, 2019, ranked #1 for 114 consecutive weeks, the fourth-longest streak in tour history behind Steffi Graf (186 weeks), Serena Williams (186), and Martina Navratilova (156). In total, the Aussie has held the No. 1 spot for 121 weeks, and is the seventh player with the most days at the top in tour history.

Barty quit tennis leaving a deep sense of emptiness. Similar, perhaps, to when the wonderful Belgian Justine Henin retired, also very young and at the top of the ranking (25 years old, in 2008; he returned in 2010, but left permanently the following season due to an injury).

Outside of the tour, Barty has repeatedly shown his support for charities in his native Australia, with the idea of ​​improving sporting and educational opportunities for the indigenous community. He also donated prizes to the RSPCA animal welfare organization, and provided assistance to those affected by the 2020 Australian bushfires and 2022 Australian floods.