World number one Ashleigh Barty announces shock retirement from tennis aged 25

World number one Ashleigh Barty on Wednesday (March 23) announced retirement from professional tennis at the age of 25, leaving the sporting world shocked. The stunning tennis player has cited the fulfilment of her tennis goals and fatigue with life on the Tour.

In an emotional video address posted on her Instagram, Barty said, "Today is difficult and filled with emotion for me as I announce my retirement from tennis."

"I'm so happy, and I'm so ready and I just know at the moment in my heart as a person, this is right. I'm so grateful for everything that tennis has given me, it's given me all of my dreams plus more," she said.

"But I know the time is now right for me to step away and chase other dreams and put the racquets down," she said in the video address with her close friend and former doubles partner Casey Dellacqua. Barty said she was "thankful for everything this sport has given me".

Barty recently became the first home-grown champion of the Australian Open in 44 years, joining tennis royalty's most exclusive club with a Grand Slam crown on three different surfaces.

She retires with 15 titles, less than two months after winning the Australian Open, her third Grand Slam singles triumph following the 2021 Wimbledon and 2019 French Open. She spent a total of 121 weeks as world number one.

It marks Barty's second "retirement" from the sport, having walked away from the game as a teenager in late-2014 after becoming disaffected by the Tour.

She returned in 2016 and rose rapidly up the rankings.

Watch her video address here: