Ashleigh Barty has opened up about the ups and downs of motherhood following her sudden retirement from professional tennis in 2022.
Barty was approaching her peak in tennis at the age of 25 after winning three career Grand Slams and reaching world number one. The former Australian player rose to stardom with a Roland Garros win in 2019, which was followed by success at Wimbledon in 2021 and the Australian Open in 2022.
However, just two months after her Australian Open victory, Barty decided to step away from tennis for good and has since had her first child and created a children's picture book about motherhood.
The former world number one spoke to the Sydney Morning Herald about her adaptation to motherhood and explained that her life has completely changed since 2022.
"He's [Hayden] been a very good boy, very kind to me as I'm learning."
'It's amazing how quickly it's all gone, how much my life has changed but how natural it all feels. It's hard – the hardest thing I've ever done – but it's incredible, too."
Baty has rarely been seen near a tennis court since retiring from the sport, but she clearly maintains an interest after making a rare public appearance at the Brisbane International to meet fans, and children and to watch some of the action.
In addition to sharing some of her rollercoaster journey into parenthood, Barty was also asked about whether her son would be following in her footsteps and launching a tennis career.
However, while the 27-year-old was unsure about her son's future in the sport, she did admit that he has some tennis-themed toys that could influence his decision.
"I don't know yet. He's three-and-a-half months old. But he's got a tiny little toy racquet and a rattle shaped like a tennis ball."
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