sport news Tennis star Ash Barty reveals she never wanted the Australian Open to be her ... trends now
Golden girl Ash Barty broke Aussie hearts when she announced her retirement after winning the Australian Open - but that wasn't the way she wanted her storied career to end.
Barty has since married long-time partner Garry Kissick, made a move in the corporate world, done 'shoeys' and played a few rounds of golf.
Tennis is firmly in the rear-vision mirror.
Talking to the Fitzy (Ryan Fitzgerald) and Wippa (Michael Wipfli) podcast, Barty admitted the Australian Open wasn't her retirement target.
Ash Barty married long-term partner Garry Kissick after announcing her retirement from professional sport
Barty's last tournament was the Australian Open - which she won - though she had intended to play another before retiring
She had not hoped or planned for some sort of fairytale ending in front of Aussie fans.
Instead, she was intent on leading Australia to a win at the Billie Jean Cup - the premier international team competition in women's tennis.
Barty, along with Ajla Tomljanovic and Sam Stosur, led Australia to the final in 2019, before they went down to France 2-3.
Ash Barty with the Billie Jean King Cup in 2019 after beating Elina Svitolina. Australia would eventually finish runners-up
A tie was set to take place in Australia during April, but it was cancelled due to the pandemic.
Guiding her country to a win would have been the perfect end for a player who thrives in a team environment - but it wasn't to be.
'I went through phases,' she said of her decision to retire, before pinpointing when she turned a corner in the process.
'After Wimbledon, my priorities shifted quite a lot ... then the Australian Open, it wasn't the result that was the catalyst for the decision, in my mind the decision had already been made.
'There was a Billie Jean King Cup tie that was meant to be played in Australia, and for me that was my target; but the tie was cancelled and I was like "oh, OK, now I'm retired" ... and that was all she wrote.'
Ash Barty announced her retirement in an emotional video released in March this year
She said her priorities had shifted, and that the decision was 'everything we (her and partner Garry Kissick, pictured) ever wanted'
When Barty released the video announcing she was retiring, to the shock and sadness of Aussies and tennis fans all over the world, it really was just business as usual for her and
