Ash Barty Retires

[mike carey]

In what I think fairly qualifies as actually being a genuine surprise, Ash Barty has announced her retirement from tennis. She said that winning at Wimbledon gave her a sense of fulfilment, to which winning the AO added. She's done it her way, going out at the top. She chose to make the announcement in a video interview with her close friend Casey Dellacqua that's linked in this article.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-03-23/ash-barty-announces-retirement-from-tennis/100932944

For most of us, this came out of the blue.

[BSR]

7 minutes ago, mike carey said:

In what I think fairly qualifies as actually being a genuine surprise, Ash Barty has announced her retirement from tennis. She said that winning at Wimbledon gave her a sense of fulfilment, to which winning the AO added. She's done it her way, going out at the top. She chose to make the announcement in a video interview with her close friend Casey Dellacqua that's linked in this article.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-03-23/ash-barty-announces-retirement-from-tennis/100932944

For most of us, this came out of the blue.

While I hadn't predicted this, I can't say I'm all that surprised.  Ash Barty quit tennis once before (16yo, I think) saying she was burned out and just wasn't enjoying it.  It seems like she still enjoys tennis but is physically done, "I just know I am absolutely spent. I know physically I have nothing more to give and that for me is success."

Barty is just 25.  The sport's superstars are winning Slams in their mid-30s.  I won't be hugely shocked if she unretires and comes back to win a Slam or two, a la Kim Clijsters.

[+ Charlie]

Clijsters is the first thought that came to my mind when I heard this news during my Wed. morning match today. Clijsters retired unexpectedly at an early age, then came back and won more majors, then retired again, then came back again....I was not as surprised as I would have been if Barty hadn't already done this once before, but I thought she would at least stick it out till the end of this year, to see if she could finish the Career Slam at the US Open. But when she got married after the AO, I wondered....

[mike carey]

15 hours ago, Charlie said:

Clijsters is the first thought that came to my mind when I heard this news during my Wed. morning match today. Clijsters retired unexpectedly at an early age, then came back and won more majors, then retired again, then came back again....I was not as surprised as I would have been if Barty hadn't already done this once before, but I thought she would at least stick it out till the end of this year, to see if she could finish the Career Slam at the US Open. But when she got married after the AO, I wondered....

As I remember it, when she took time off from tennis in '15 or '16 it was a break from the sport not a retirement. She played professional cricket during that break. She describes herself as a homebody and misses the company of her family on the tour. She may well be back in a couple of years or she may take up another sport where she can travel less, or at least not as far. Golf wouldn't qualify on the last criterion but she apparently plays off 3. In her press conference today she told people to be patient about what, if anything, she might do next.

[mike carey]

Today's cartoon from the 'Tiser.

(The 'Tiser being the Adelaide Advertiser, the city's daily paper.)

[+ purplekow]

Expect a pregnancy announcement, a birth, a post partum return to the game after getting back in shape.   

Edited March 25, 2022 by purplekow

[+ Charlie]

9 hours ago, purplekow said:

Expect a pregnancy announcement, a birth, a post partum return to the game after getting back in shape.   

Once again, Clijsters provides the template. There is also the question of who would be the more effective breadwinner in Barty's family.

[+ Lucky]

I have never once heard of Ash Barty. Did she use to go by Ash Wednesday?

[+ purplekow]

She will probably change her name to Phoenix after this break as she arises from the Ash.

 

[Gadfly22]

On 3/25/2022 at 5:15 PM, Lucky said:

I have never once heard of Ash Barty. Did she use to go by Ash Wednesday?

[BSR]

On 3/24/2022 at 11:19 PM, purplekow said:

Expect a pregnancy announcement, a birth, a post partum return to the game after getting back in shape.   

Well, the first part of your prediction has happened ...

Retired Australian Open champion Barty announces pregnancy

Ash is staying quite involved with tennis.  She will be at the Australian Open as the mentor of 20yo fellow Aussie Olivia Gadecki.

[+ purplekow]

On 4/27/2022 at 8:44 PM, Gadfly22 said:

Ah Billy Barty,  He was an actor and most don't know this, an excellent golfer.  He had a great short game.