Former tennis player-turned-golf pro Scott Draper wants Ashleigh Barty to do the same

Former World No.42 Scott Draper, who switched his professional sporting career from tennis to golf in 2005, has urged former world number Ash Barty to follow in his footsteps.

This month the 25-year-old announced her first career move away from the sporting world as she is set to publish a series of children’s books, as well as a memoir. However, there has been lots of speculation since the Australian Open Champion’s shock retirement last month that she will at some point return to the elite level of a sport other than tennis.

Earlier this month, Ash Barty added more fuel to the speculations of her post-retirement career as the three-time Slam champion announced she is going to play in a series of golf exhibition tournaments starting from June this year. On top of this announcement, the Australian Open champion, who plays off a handicap of four, won the Brookwater Golf and Country Club ladies tournament  for a second time after winning the event in 2020.

Now, former Wimbledon mixed-doubles champion and fellow Aussie Scott Draper has voiced his opinion on Barty’s possible career move into golf, believing she should challenge herself in another sport as a professional.

In a recent interview, Draper told reporters, “When people are making a decision to do something that is perhaps out of their comfort zone or a little bit different, I just like life and people tend to go you shouldn’t do that or can’t do that.

“It is great when someone has the passion to do something different or they give it a go regardless of what the outcome may be.

“What she did, to be number one in the world at 25 years of age, to make a decision like that, it is completely extraordinary that someone has that courage and clarity.”