“I don’t know what I’m playing for anymore" - Barty remembers moments before retirement
WTA
In a recent interview, Ashleigh Barty recounted when she questioned the point of continuing to play professional tennis after achieving her lifelong dream.
Despite Barty's career being shorter than most players, the Australian still established herself as a tennis legend. She won the 2019 French Open, 2021 Wimbledon Championships, and 2022 Australian Open.
Many might assume that winning her home Grand Slam at the Australian Open was her dream and that securing this year's title in Melbourne could have been the most significant reason for Barty's shock retirement in March.
However, Barty always wanted to become Wimbledon champion. Although she won the Australian Open afterward, the 28-year-old's motivation to compete was already declining by that point.
Barty spoke about that dynamic in an interview with News Corp. The three-time Grand Slam champion admitted that the fire inside of her died as soon as she achieved her childhood dream of obtaining the Wimbledon title.
“Winning Wimbledon was the single thing I wanted my whole career. But after that feat, in June 2021, the fire died inside.I don’t know what I’m playing for anymore. I think I’m done. I have got nothing left, no spark.”
Barty has written a memoir that reflects on her career in tennis and life as a whole. She told News Corp the Memoir is honest and tries to let all readers in.
“I tried to keep it raw and honest and not hide anything. We put it together in a way where we tried to let everyone in.’’
The WTA Tour is in a great place, with young stars like Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff ready to lead women's tennis forward. However, Barty's game was wonderful to watch since it contained a level of variety that only a tiny number like Ons Jabeur can match, meaning she is missed.
