Ashleigh Barty makes stunning retirement revelation, pays tribute to Rafael Nadal

Yesterday at 08:16 AM

Ashleigh Barty said it was absolutely wonderful to see Rafael Nadal retiring by representing Spain one last time and also stunningly revealed that her intention wasn't to retire at the Australian Open but by playing for her nation in the Billie Jean King Cup. 

Two weeks ago, the former 22-time Grand Slam champion concluded his astonishing career at the Davis Cup Finals in Malaga. There, the 38-year-old got to play one singles match in Spain's 1-2 defeat to the Netherlands. Afterward, a specia ceremony was held to celebrate his career and it all happened in front of his people and home fans. 

Over the last few years, the game of tennis has seen some great names leave - with the most notable ones being Barty, Serena Williams, Nadal, Roger Federer, and Andy Murray. 

But one of the most shocking retirements was the one of Barty. After winning the 2021 Wimbledon title, the Australian also started the 2022 season by winning back-to-back titles at the Adelaide International and the Australian Open - she also became the first Australian woman since 1978 to win it all at Melbourne Park. 

Then, she skipped the entire February and misteriously withdrew from Indian Wells and Miami. While it was clear that something was happening, no one expected Barty to announce her retirement at the age of 25 in 2022 March.

"I love Rafa. What I loved most was Rafa as a human being. I played my first Australian Open when I was 15 and walked past him in the corridor and he said hello. I was this overwhelmed kid. He could not have been nicer," the former world No. 1 told News Corp.

"We shared some cool successes and have those memories but I liked the way Rafa retired. He wanted to represent Spain in a team environment. That was my dream. I wanted to retire representing Australia at a Fed Cup tie in Brisbane which did not eventuate. I know that feeling of celebrating your career with the people you love."

Throughout his career, the Spaniard enjoyed an outstanding reputation among the fans but also in the locker room. Usually, he would be described as a very kind and polite person. 

"He and his team were always so kind to us. They offered us to help and during Covid when Australia was going through quite a challenging time and his Uncle Tony had reached out to us and said 'if you need you come there is space in our academy and we can set you up no problem at all. We are always very grateful for them," Barty said of Nadal. 

'It's been such a beautiful celebration for him and his career. So many tributes from players and also other athletes around the world. It showed how much of a positive impact it had on sport and life in general. He has a brilliant perspective on life and sport. I was always one of his biggest supporters."

When the former world No. 1 retired, the entire tennis world but also the sports world were left stunned. However, it didn't take long before the Australian offered an explanation. 

After accomplishing her childhood goal of winning Wimbledon, she started losing motivation for sport. And when she also won the Australian Open, that was it. 

"I didn't have any goals of knowing how long I would play for. I wanted to win Wimbledon. That was always the dream. Sometimes your dreams don't come true, but sometimes they do. All I wanted to do in this second phase of my career was feel like I gave it absolutely everything and know that I left no stone unturned," Barty explained at the time.

Following her 2021 Wimbledon triumph, the Australian appeared in just three tournaments in the rest of the year. And after she lost in the Tokyo Olympics first round and also exited the US Open in the third round, her coach Craig Tyzzer saw the writing on the wall.

"Once we got to the Olympics it hit home for me that there wasn't much left in her... Her singles really went by the wayside. I really felt like she climbed to where she needed to get to and it was going to be a hard slog to keep her involved. So I sort of felt it was coming," Tyzzer said at the time.

Since retiring, Barty has been asked numerous times about the possibility of returning to tennis. But the answer has been the same every time as the Australian tennis legend remains firmly retired.