"You can never say never but no, I'm done" - Barty on her comeback

Former World No. 1, Ashleigh Barty, has definitively ruled out ever returning to competitive tennis.

The reigning Australian Open champion was speaking at Melbourne Park - the scene of that great triumph - ahead of the launch of her autobiography. Speaking to Australian Associated Press, the Queenslander confirmed that her shock retirement in March, at the age of 25, was final. 

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When asked whether she would ever consider returning to the court, Barty responded, “Nope, I’m done. You can never say never but no. No, no, no. I’m done.”

The triple Grand Slam champion delivered Australia their first home major champion in 44 years at the beginning of this year, when she swept the title in Melbourne with quite breathtaking tennis.

Given the abrupt and unexpected nature of Barty's announcement just two months after such a feat, much of the tennis world has since been quietly speculating as to whether this was in fact the last of the Australian great. However, what slim hope Ash Barty fans may have held has now been extinguished by the announcement that she has indeed bid her final farewell to the sport.

Barty did concede that she missed the competitive aspect of the game, but that it was not enough to bring her back.

“I miss competing and challenging myself against the best of the world but I don’t miss a lot that comes with it,” she said. “I’m still competitive with myself when I train at home. I still try and push myself but there’s no white-line fever any more. And I never really felt like there was this void that needed to be filled in because there was a genuine sense of fulfilment at the end of my career."

Barty had walked away from the sport before, in 2014, only to make a full return two years later.

But she explained that back then she was still searching for something after she'd quit, which ultimately led to her return. “But now I don’t need that. Now I have probably understood and realized that I’ve had an extremely full, fulfilling, incredible journey in my athletic and professional career and now it’s time to close that chapter". 

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