Top-ranked Ash Barty quits tennis in shock retirement

Top-ranked tennis player Ash Barty has announced her shock retirement from the sport in a social media post.

"Today is difficult and filled with emotion for me as I announce my retirement from tennis," 25-year-old Barty said in an emotional video posted on Wednesday.

"I wasn’t quite sure of how I was gonna do this . . . it's hard to say … I'm so happy and I'm so ready. I just know at the moment in my heart for me as a person this is right."

"Current WTA world number one Ashleigh Barty has today announced her retirement from professional tennis following a remarkable career at the top of the women's game," the WTA said in a statement.

READ MORE: Barty defeats Collins to win historic Australian Open title

Cricket career

"I wasn’t sure how to share this news with you so I asked my good friend @caseydellacqua to help me. I am so thankful for everything this sport has given me and leave feeling proud and fulfilled. Thank you to everyone who has supported me along the way, I’ll always be grateful for the lifelong memories that we created together 🤍," she wrote.

Barty, who left tennis in 2014 to pursue a professional cricket career but returned to the sport two years later, won her three major singles titles on three different surfaces — on clay at the 2019 French Open, on grass at Wimbledon last year and on the hard courts of Melbourne Park at the Australian Open in January.

The WTA Tour said Barty has held the No. 1 ranking for 114 consecutive weeks.

Barty said tennis has "given me all of my dreams, plus more, but I know that the time is right now for me to step away and chase other dreams, and to put the rackets down."