Ash Barty says she’s not “hiding anything” with her surprise decision to retire.
Barty stunned the tennis world on Wednesday with her announcement via social media that she was ending her career immediately, less than two months after winning the Australian Open title.
The world No.1 spoke to the media in Brisbane on Thursday, and confirmed there was nothing lingering in the background that forced her to leave the game.
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“I’ve said exactly what I wanted to say in the video. I’m not hiding anything. I’m an open book,” she said.
Barty fronted the press conference with her coach, Craig Tyzzer, who said winning the Open was like a parting gift to the nation, saying the Australian summer “was for everyone else and not for her”.
The top ranked star said that “timing is everything” and that she had given her all to the sport, and things shifted following her win at the All England Club last year.
“After Wimbledon, my perspective changed a lot,” she said. “And there was this beautiful challenge of trying to play the Australian Open and trying to win an Australian Open, which was always another goal of mine, and to do that as a team and to do that with the people that meant so much to me was incredible.
“So it was just – there is no perfect way, there is no perfect timing, but this was our perfect way.”
The 25-year-old said she’s looking forward to spending more time with her family, and didn’t rule out playing another sport in the future, telling reporters “you’ll have to wait and see”.
“I’m not going to give you everything. You can be patient, patience is a virtue. We will see,” she said when reporters pressed her about switching sports.
“I have seen some brilliant photoshops as a jockey, lawn bowler. Like many sports, I am lured to it.
“I have always been an athlete in the sense of trying different things. We will see how we go.”
She said she is looking forward to the next stage in her life, and tennis will always be a huge part of her future.
“I am excited about my next chapter as Ash Barty the person and not the athlete,” she explained.
“I hit as recently as 10 days ago. I will forever be connected to tennis, I will never stop loving the sport, I will never stop hitting tennis balls.
“I just won’t be doing it selfishly, for me to try and progress my career. It will be for different reasons. I can’t wait to get out there with young girls and boys and contribute in different ways.
“I’m excited to have the time to do that. I can’t wait to get on board and teach my nieces and nephews and hope that tennis brings them the same love that it did for me,” she said.
“I have always been a homebody, and this is where I recharge.
“This is where I get my energy from. I’m excited to reacquaint myself with my mum and dad and sisters and nieces and nephews. And spend quality time with them as a person.
“Like I said, a new chapter for Garry (her partner) and I, and it is going to be a lot of fun.”
The retired tennis champion also confirmed she will be spending more time contributing to the plight of Indigenous Australians, and encouraging their participation in the game of tennis.
“I know my contribution with the Aboriginal and Indigenous side of our sport will only grow,” Barty said.
“I’m really excited for that, I’m really excited to have the opportunity to give Indigenous youth, Aboriginal youth around our nation more opportunity to get into the sport.
“That’s something that we’ll work on down the track but I am excited to spend more time in that space.”
Tyzzer said Barty retired “the way she wanted to do it”, and that there’s so much more to the professional athlete, than being a tennis player, saying that’s not “who she is”.
“There are lots of other elements to her life, so I just know that she’s made the right decision for her,” the coach said.
Barty said she will ask for her name to be removed from the world rankings when they’re updated at the conclusion of the current tournament in Miami.
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