Iga Swiatek has confessed that the news of Ashleigh Barty's retirement brought her to tears.
Barty stunned the tennis world by announcing her retirement from the sport in March 2022. This came just two months after she won her home Grand Slam at the Australian Open.
The Australian was still the No. 1 ranked player in the world at the time. She was just 25 years old but had already captured three Grand Slam titles. Barty seemed ready to win so much more, which is why so many were shocked by the decision.
Swiatek, who recently discussed the idea of retirement herself, has admitted that Barty's announcement made her emotional, and that she struggled to understand why the former Wimbledon champion would take such a decision, as she revealed in the Players' Tribune.
"I didn't understand at first. I was like 'What? How is this possible?' And then I started crying. I was so confused and shocked that Ash was 25, and she was retiring."
It is brave of the current world No. 1 to acknowledge how deeply affected she was by Barty's retirement. It was one of the most surprising sports stories in recent years, and it is understandable that a fellow top player found it hard to comprehend.
However, Swiatek, who was recently beaten at the World Tennis League, described how she understood after watching Barty reveal her retirement.
"When I saw Ash I was like, wow, you can choose to do this differently. While you're on this journey, striving for excellence, you can sometimes say 'Okay, that's enough.' You're in control, the whole way."
Swiatek realized that not everyone has to be the same. Some want to play for a long time and break records, while others reach a point where they want to go in a different direction. Such understanding for others is a positive thing.
Barty is certainly missed on the WTA Tour. However, having a wonderful ambassador for the sport like Swiatek as world No. 1 means women's tennis is still in a great place.
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