Ash Barty’s decision to walk away from tennis only enhances her legend, writes Robert Craddock
What will Ash Barty do next? The possibilities are endless. But a daring sporting switch has opened up for the retiring tennis great.
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Golf Australia would welcome Ash Barty “with open arms’’ if she decides her next sporting calling is to hit the fairways.
Barty, 25, who retired from professional tennis on Wednesday, is likely to have a wide range of options in other sports with golf by far the most intriguing.
Barty plays off a handicap of three at Brookwater Club, where she was 2020 club champion, without ever fully focusing on the sport.
“We would welcome Ash with open arms,’’ a Golf Australia spokesman said.
“I’m sure a lot of sports feel the same and we are watching her story closely. We love her. Everyone loves her. She may decide simply to keep playing as an amateur just for fun.
“Being a professional is more complicated but we will certainly her help in any way if she chooses that path.’’
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A video of Barty’s swing was viewed by several Australian golfers on the PGA in America recently and all were impressed.
Tiger Woods has watched her from close quarters and feel she has great potential.
There is a feeling in the golf world Barty has the ability to play golf professionally but whether the self-confessed home body would like to tour is another matter.
Barty once said that the golfing gene is even more deeply embedded in her than the tennis variety. Her father Rob was a top amateur player, her mother Josie and her family played the sport and her fiancée Garry Kissick is a trainee golf professional.
While her sporting future is uncertain, Barty is known to be determined to have more “bush’’ visits to Indigenous communities after being deeply touched by her first visit to Uluru recently.
Barty’s mentor Evonne Goolagong Cawley has spent many years travelling the country to offer inspiration to Indigenous children and Barty, who has an Indigenous heritage, is set to make her own contribution.
Goolagong Cawley, who once encouraged Barty to “go wet a line’’ when she needed a break from the game, was delighted by Barty’s decision.
“I’m so supportive of Ash, and making a decision that is best for her and makes her happy,” Goolagong Cawley said.
“I can’t wait to see what the next chapter brings, and to watch Ash achieve her dreams post tennis.”
Barty retired with an emotional social media post, saying “I know that the time is right now for me to step away and chase other dreams and to put the racquets down.”
Barty said had ‘given absolutely everything’ to the sport.’’
“I know that for me, Ash Barty the person has so many dreams she wants to chase after that don’t necessarily involve travelling the world, being away from my family, being away from my home – which is where I’ve always wanted to be, it’s where I’ve grown up.’’
Tributes flowed around the globe with fellow grand slam winner Simona Halep summing up the emotion of the moment.
“Ash, what can I say, you know I have tears right? My friend, I will miss you on tour. You were different, and special, and we shared some amazing moments.
“What’s next for you? Grand Slam champion in golf?!’’
ULTIMATE BARTY PARTY: SECRET BASH TO FAREWELL A LEGEND
By Robert Craddock
Farewell Ash. Thanks for the memories … and what memories they were.
The last shot Ash Barty hit as a professional tennis player, fittingly a sweet crosscourt winner, delivered her the Australian Open, and one of Australian sports most elusive treasures.
We didn’t know that was the end and neither did she.
But then reality set in … could it really get any better than that?
No, it couldn’t. Not on the back of achieving her heart’s greatest desire - Wimbledon. That was the cake. This was the cream.
And that’s one of the reasons this magnificent sportswoman has shocked the world by retiring.
The fire within could never rage as brightly again.
Barty’s journey is likely to end where it started.
She promised her junior coach Jim Joyce that when she retired from the sport he and her would return to the court at his tennis centre where she was famously photographed holding her first trophy as a six year old and they would sit together – just the two of them – and knock over a bottle of champagne and talk about their journey.
It will be a secret Barty party like no other.
One of Barty’s endless charms is that she is not afraid to be different.
Barty candidly admits she has lost “the physical drive’’ and the “emotional want’’ to stay in the brutally competitive world of professional tennis.
In the next few days there will be any number of sporting champions looking at her move and thinking they wanted to do the same — retire on top — but were not brave enough to walk away.
In a sweet way, this decision will enhance the Barty legend.
Barty could have played on for five to eight years and won five to eight more Grand Slams but by retiring on top as world No. 1 she will become forever known for the graceful way she floated out of the game as what she did.
The additional charm of her story is while she could retire to an exotic overseas port there are no immediate plans to be anywhere else than her new home in the Springfield region.
There will be more family time, more golf, and more tennis lessons for her niece Lucy followed by picnics in the park.
We take it for granted that just because you are No. 1 in the world you have to be insatiably hungry and driven by desperation to stay there.
Barty’s mind coach Ben Crowe has taught her that happiness is much more than raising a trophy or travelling the world or winning bucketfuls of prizemoney.
She has always been happiest at home with her husband to be, her two sisters her nieces and nephew and mum and dad close by – and don’t forget those three spoilt dogs she would have loved to have taken on tour.
That’s why the Australia Open win was paradise.
Her two sisters came down from Ipswich. Her mum spent the fortnight with her and cooked her favourite chicken curry. Her dad was busy but she made sure he was there for the final.
She hugged them all after taking the title and in the weeks that followed she realised that was it.
The mountain top. The summit. With Wimbledon in the bag she had done everything she had wanted to do.
Barty is so tight with her family that she sent messages to her nephew Oscar and niece Lucy when signing the glass plate at the end of her singles games during the Australian Open.
She face times them every day when she is at home as well as on tour.
Barty achieved everything she wanted in the sport and more.
When he was in primary school she said to her dad “do you think Serena Williams will still be playing when I am No. 1 in the world?’’
She was indeed.
Sometimes it feels like the whole thing was a children’s fairytale.
The tiny wonder kid who won Wimbledon got burnt out and disappeared, played cricket and returned to win three Grand Slams and become the world’s No 1 for two years.
And who now heads back to where her journey started.
She is likely to been seen around her home suburb playing golf, walking the dogs, maybe having coffee with her sisters and taking her niece Lucy and her friends for more coaching lessons.
There will be more cricket watching and cheering on the Richmond Tigers and mum’s chicken curry is just up the road.
Can life get any better?
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