Ash Barty retirement as it happened: Australian tennis star announces shock retirement via Instagram

Thank you for joining us for our live coverage of Ash Barty’s retirement this afternoon. Here are some of the main highlights from the day:

• The world has reacted with shock to the news of Barty’s retirement. Prime Minister Scott Morrison has thanked the women’s world number one for inspiring a generation of young Australians. “None of us will forget, of course, the triumphant in Wimbledon and none of us will ever forget that incredible comeback down there at the Australian Open this year, which once again showed everybody what you can do when you really apply yourself,” he said.
• Two-time US Open champion Pat Rafter backed Barty’s decision telling 3AW it was clear she wanted to enjoy other parts of life beyond tennis after winning Wimbledon, Roland Garros and the Australian Open. “She doesn’t want to play tennis any more,” he said. “She wants to have a life. She wants to live life.”
• Meanwhile, Barty’s idol, close friend and fellow Indigenous trailblazer Evonne Goolagong Cawley passed on all her support to the world No.1. “I can’t wait to see what the next chapter brings, and to watch Ash achieve her dreams post tennis,” she said.
• Our readers also wrote in to share their favourite memories of the tennis superstar. Some praised Barty’s humility and down-to-earth nature, while others highlighted some of her biggest sporting achievements. “Her Wimbledon win was sublime ... Also, in her press conferences when she was surreptitiously slipping in lines from Disney movies, trying to keep things fun and not take it all too seriously,” wrote reader Narelle.

That’s all from us for tonight. Stay tuned as we bring you the latest headlines in sport tomorrow.

Bye for now.

Ash Barty was a breath of fresh air. She wafted in, made everyone feel better for a time, and now is gone. She was among us barely any longer than the champion racehorse Winx. But the sensation she created will remain in our hearts and bones for a long time, writes sports columnist Greg Baum.

Her tennis retirement at 25 is a shock, but less so a surprise. She has always marched to the beat of a different drum. As she said to Casey Dellacqua in making her announcement on social media, this might have been an unorthodox way, but it was her way.

Barty was never in it for the money. When she won the season-ending WTA tournament in Shenzhen in 2019, and with it the single biggest cheque ever collected by a tennis player, male or female, she merely said that was Christmas sorted for her toddler niece and nephew. She knows what she is giving up, and money is the least of it.

She didn’t play for trophies; some ended up as vases in her sisters’ houses. She didn’t play for the travel; she is at heart a homebody. She’s still as Queensland as they come.

She didn’t play for acclaim; Australia has had few more modest or more dignified sports champions. She didn’t play to accumulate. Before we had even considered whether or not she was playing for longevity, she gave us her answer.

Read the full article by sports columnist Greg Baum here.

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Thanks so much for all the reader reactions and interactions today as we digested the unexpected news that Ash Barty was retiring from tennis.

I’ll handover the blog to Marta Pascual Juanola who will steer things on into the evening.

Have a lovely night. Bye for now.

Aboriginal international soccer stars Lydia Williams and Kyah Simon spoke earlier this year about the impact Ash Barty’s tennis career on the Indigenous community.

Lydia Williams: I think any of the responsibilities or expectations to the Indigenous community from athletes and people in the public eye is just inspiration. A lot of us Indigenous people play with heart and to go out there and show our appreciation for the land and the people within it is the most important thing.

Kyah Simon: Ash is such a positive role model in Australia, but also around the world. She’s proud of her indigenous heritage, as am I.

I think there’s so many young kids that will be aspiring to be a tennis star one day, that will be out there with the racket, with a tennis ball and wanting to hit a ball around and be an Ash Barty one day. She inspired all of us who are playing international sport for a different code, so you can only imagine the impact that she has had on so many young Australian kids and around the world.