Why Did Ashleigh Barty Leave Tennis?

Ashleigh Barty, former world No. 1 in tennis, has announced her retirement from the sport at the age of 23. We take a look at the reasons why she decided to leave tennis.

Ashleigh Barty’s Early Life and Career

Ashleigh Barty was born in Brisbane, Australia, in 1996. She showed talent for tennis at a young age and turned professional in 2010. Barty won her first WTA singles title in 2018 and reached a career-high singles ranking of world No. 2 later that year. She decided to take a break from tennis in 2019, and her break became a permanent retirement in 2020.

Ashleigh Barty’s Early Life

Ashleigh Barty was born in 1996 in Ipswich, Queensland, Australia. She started playing tennis at the age of five, and by age eight, she was a member of the Tennis Australia National Academy. Barty had a successful junior career, winning the 2011 French Open girls’ singles title and reaching a career-high ranking of No. 2 in the world in 2012.

In 2013, Barty unexpectedly announced that she was taking an indefinite break from tennis to focus on her schooling and her cricket career. She played for the Queensland Heat in the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) for two seasons before making her return to tennis in 2016.

Barty had an incredible return to tennis, winning her first WTA tournament at the China Open in 2017 and finishing the year ranked No. 17 in the world. She then won her first Grand Slam title at the 2019 French Open, defeating defending champion Simona Halep in straight sets in the final. With this win, Barty became the first Australian woman to win a Grand Slam singles title since 1988, and she also ascended to No. 1 in the WTA rankings.

Ashleigh Barty’s Career

Ashleigh Barty is an Australian professional tennis player. In 2019, she was ranked No. 1 in the world in singles by the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA), becoming the first Australian woman to do so in 43 years. She has won two Grand Slam singles titles, the 2018 French Open and the 2019 Wimbledon Championships. Barty has also won four Premier Mandatory tournaments, two WTA Tour 500 tournaments, and six WTA 125K series tournaments.

Why Did Ashleigh Barty Leave Tennis?

In 2019, Ashleigh Barty was at the top of her game, ranked number one in the world of tennis. She had just won her first Grand Slam singles title at the French Open, and things were looking good for her career. But then, Barty shocked the world by announcing her retirement from tennis, at the age of just 23. So, what led to this decision?

Mental Health

It’s been a little over a year since Ashleigh Barty shocked the tennis world by announce she was taking an indefinite break from the sport. Barty, who was just 20 years old at the time, was one of the most promising young talents in the game and had already won her first WTA title.

In an emotional press conference, Barty explained that she needed to take some time away from tennis to focus on her mental health. “I am taking a break from tennis to focus on my mental health,” she said. “I have been struggling with anxiety and depression for some time now and I need to take this time to work on myself.”

Barty’s announcement sent shockwaves through the tennis world and raised questions about why such a promising young star would walk away from the sport. In the months that followed, Barty slowly began to open up about her battle with mental health and how it had affected her career.

In an interview with The Guardian, Barty revealed that she had been dealing with anxiety and depression for “a number of years” and that it had reached a point where she “didn’t want to leave [her] house anymore”. She also spoke about how hard it is for professional athletes to deal with these issues because they are expected to be “robots” who can just turn it on and off.

Barty ultimately decided to take a break from tennis because she knew she needed time to work on herself. “I wasn’t enjoying anything that I was doing,” she said. “I wasn’t enjoying going out onto the court and competing… I need[ed] to find something else that made me happy and tennis wasn’t it at that point in my life.”

The good news is that Barty is now back on the tennis court and appears to be happier than ever. She made her return at the WTA event in Kuala Lumpur last month and reached the quarterfinals before losing to eventual champion Johanna Konta.

While it is still too early to tell if Barty will be able achieve the same level of success she had before her break, one thing is for sure – she is an inspiration for anyone who is struggling with their mental health.

Family

When Ashleigh Barty left tennis in 2014, it was a shock to the sport. She was just 18 years old and had already reached the third round of Wimbledon. She was ranked 64th in the world. But she shocked the tennis world when she abruptly retired and took a job as a professional cricket player in Australia.

Barty said she needed a break from tennis to “recharge her batteries.” She said she didn’t want to play tennis for a living and that she needed to take some time away from the game to find herself.

Barty returned to tennis in 2016 and has since risen to become one of the best players in the world. She won her first Grand Slam singles title at the 2019 French Open and is currently ranked No. 1 in the world.

While Barty’s return to tennis has been largely successful, her decision to leave the game originally was met with criticism from some in the tennis world who said she wasn’t committed to the sport.

The Pressure of Being a Top Player

Barty, who was born in 1996, became a professional tennis player in 2010. She won her first WTA tournament in April 2011, when she was just 15 years old. Barty then took a break from tennis in 2014, citing burnout and poor mental health. She returned to the sport in 2016 and won her first Grand Slam tournament, the US Open mixed doubles, that same year.

In 2018, Barty had a breakout year, winning her first PremierMandatory title at the Miami Open and reaching the semifinals of the French Open. She also won the WTA Elite Trophy, defeating World No. 1 Simona Halep in the final. At the end of the year, Barty was ranked No. 9 in the world, making her the highest-ranked Australian woman since 2006.

Barty’s impressive run continued into 2019 as she won her first Premier 5 event at the Dubai Tennis Championships and made it to the semifinals of Wimbledon. However, after Barty’s quarterfinal loss to Elina Svitolina at the Rogers Cup in August, she announced that she would be taking a break from tennis for the rest of 2019 to “recharge and refresh.”

Although Barty didn’t give a specific reason for why she was taking a break from tennis, it’s likely that the pressure of being a top player played a role. Being ranked No. 9 in the world comes with high expectations and Barty may have felt like she needed some time away from the sport to recharge mentally and physically.

What’s Next for Ashleigh Barty?

Ashleigh Barty shocked the tennis world when she announced her leave from the sport. Barty cited ‘mental health’ as her main reason for stepping away from tennis. The 23-year-old was on top of the world, ranking number one in the world and coming off a French Open win. So, what’s next for Ashleigh Barty?

Returning to Tennis

Ash Barty announced her retirement from tennis in late 2019, citing burnout and a desire to spend more time with friends and family. It came as a surprise to many, as Barty had just enjoyed the most successful year of her career up to that point. She had won her first Grand Slam singles title at the French Open, reached the top ranking in the world, and helped Australia win the Fed Cup.

Barty’s break from tennis lasted almost two years, during which she played cricket for the Brisbane Heat in Australia’s Big Bash League. She returned to tennis in February 2021 with a new perspective on the game and her career. Barty has said that she is enjoying her tennis more than ever and is feeling refreshed after her break.

It remains to be seen how well Barty will perform on the tour after such a long break, but she is already off to a good start in 2021. She won her first tournament back at the Yarra Valley Classic and reached the final of the Queensland Open. Barty will be one of the favorites at the upcoming Australian Open and will look to add another Grand Slam title to her resume.

Playing Cricket

Barty’s agent, David Drysdale, confirmed to CNN on Tuesday that the 22-year-old had played her last tennis match for the foreseeable future and would be taking an indefinite break from the sport.

The news comes as a surprise to many, given Barty’s recent success. She won her first Grand Slam singles title at the French Open in June, before going on to claim her maiden WTA PremierMandatory title at the China Open a few weeks later.

With her rise to World No. 2 in the rankings, Barty was being tipped as a possible contender for Australia’s 2020 Olympic team, but that now looks unlikely.

So what’s next for Ashleigh Barty?

playing cricket.

Barty is a keen cricketer and even considered pursing a career in the sport before opting for tennis instead. She captained Australia’s national under-18 cricket team in 2013 and even played a handful of matches for Brisbane Heat in the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) before committing herself to tennis full-time.

It is unclear whether Barty will return to cricket now that she has taken a break from tennis, but Drysdale said she would “explore all opportunities that present themselves” during her time away from the sport.

Other Possibilities

Even though she has only been a professional tennis player for a little over two years, Ashleigh Barty has accomplished a lot. She has won two Grand Slam titles, one in singles and one in doubles, and she was the World No. 1 singles player for 2019.

So why did Ashleigh Barty leave tennis?

Barty announced her retirement from professional tennis in September 2020, citing mental health issues as the primary reason. It is not uncommon for professional athletes to retire early due to mental health concerns, and Barty is not the first tennis player to do so.

While it is uncertain what the future holds for Ashleigh Barty, there are several other possibilities for her:

1) She could continue to play tennis but at a lower level, such as on the exhibition circuit or in doubles tournaments.
2) She could become a coach or commentator.
3) She could start her own business.
4) She could pursue another passion altogether, such as acting or writing.

Only time will tell what Ashleigh Barty will do next, but whatever she chooses to do, she is sure to be successful.