Rennae Stubbs claims Ashleigh Barty could take up professional golf following shock retirement

Ashleigh Barty could pursue a third professional sporting career following her retirement from tennis, according to her friend Rennae Stubbs.

The three-time Grand Slam champion shocked the sporting world on Wednesday, as she walked away from the sport for a second time to 'chase other dreams' less than two months after winning the Australian Open.

"I know I've done this before but in a very different feeling and I'm so grateful of what tennis has given me, all of my dreams plus more but I know the time is right now for me to step away and to put the rackets down," Barty said in an emotional interview with former doubles partner and good friend Casey Dellacqua.

Barty, who has held the status of World No.1 since June 24, 2019, first took an indefinite break from the sport eight years ago, swapping her racket for a cricket bat as she signed up to play for Brisbane Heat in the inaugural Women's Big Bash League.

Stubbs, a four-time Grand Slam doubles winner, feels Barty's current circumstances are very similar.

"Tennis doesn’t make her happy anymore - the travel, the grind, the practice, all of it. She wants to move on to something else," Stubbs told Channel 7’s Sunrise. "Don’t be surprised if we see her walk down the fairway of an LPGA [golf] event.

"We know she can play cricket, we know that she’s basically a scratch golfer … she can kick a footy and can probably walk on for an AFLW team. I think she’s got a few things up her sleeve that she wants to achieve.

"And she’s young enough and smart enough to make the change."