"Weird one to explain" - cricket legend AB de Villiers on Barty's retirement
WTA
Ashleigh Barty announced her retirement from tennis in March, shocking the tennis world and cricket legend AB de Villiers, who has called her decision a 'weird one to explain.'
The former Australian tennis player loves cricket, and that was never a secret. She retired from tennis way back after deciding to play cricket instead. A few years later, she opted to return to tennis, and it proved to be a great decision as she slowly climbed to the top of the game only to retire at the mere age of 25.
The decision shocked some, while others were more aware of something like that possibly happening. One person who was shocked was cricket legend AB de Villiers, who was unsure what to make of it as he stayed in his sport as long as he could perform at the top level.
De Villiers met Barty before, and in a recent phone interview with AFP, he talked about her surprising decision to retire from the sport so early, and despite having so much success on the WTA Tour.
"It is a weird one to explain. I think the best answer is that every person has their own way of manoeuvring through their career, some as long as possible. The whole world respects her decision, I would like to think stepping away can be a relief but it is an incredible age to retire at."
De Villiers, like Barty, is already retired from the sport, and that's why he can relate with her, knowing how it feels like to step away after many years.
"I am feeling quite happy I made the right decision even if I miss the game and will be forever grateful to the sport. But similar to Ash there is a peace of mind where I am at. I am really happy to look back on my career with fond memories. There are no regrets. Yes, I made mistakes but no regrets."
The former Wimbledon champion is now retired, but that didn't stop the speculations about her next move, as some debated whether she could return to cricket again, or possibly try a different sport.
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