Three-time grand slam winner and current World No. 1 Ash Barty announced on Tuesday that she is retiring from tennis after a nearly 12-year career.
The 25-year-old Australian shared that she knew the time was right to retire and follow her other dreams after she won the Australian Open back in January.
The tennis world reacted to Barty’s announcement that she is putting “the rackets down.”
Various tennis players praised Barty for her incredible tennis career, in which she has won 15 titles in singles, along with sharing sadness for the young player to be leaving the sport so soon.
Former World No. 1 Simona Halep joked that Barty’s next step would be a “Grand Slam champion in golf.”
Another former World No. 1 Karolina Pliskova shared an image of the two players hugging following the Wimbledon final last year. Barty beat Pliskova to accomplish her “dream” of winning the grass court grand slam, she admitted in her retirement announcement.
Two-time Wimbledon winner Petra Kvitova said Barty is “showing your true class leaving tennis in this beautiful way.”
American Madison Keys reiterated the other sentiments by wishing Barty good luck on whatever she pursues next.
Former World No. 1 Andy Murray shared a short, but thoughtful message about Barty.
