Tennis Legends | Ash Barty: Three-time Grand Slam champion who retired at her peak

Very few sporting figures retire at the summit of their profession. One rare example of a competitor who did was Ash Barty. The Australian called time on her career when ranked world number one and the reigning champion at Wimbledon and the Australian Open.

Barty's success in her home Slam at Melbourne proved to be a fitting swansong for a player that left us wanting more. Her versatility and imagination offered a contrast with the baseline brutality many of her contemporaries rely upon.

Born on the 24th April 1996, in Ipswich, Queensland, to parents Josie and Robert Barty. They both represented the state of Queensland in golf and Robert for the country as well. Barty is of indigenous background like another great Aussie champion Evonne Goolagong, a player often cited as an inspiration by Barty. She comes from the Ngaragu people, the Aboriginal people of New South Wales.

Barty experienced a successful junior career that was highlighted by a victory in the 2011 Girls’ Singles at Wimbledon. She reached a junior ranking high of two. Her initial transition to the WTA Tour saw greater momentum in the doubles discipline. She reached three doubles finals alongside compatriot Casey Dellacqua.

In 2014, Barty opted for an indefinite break from tennis. During her period away from the tour, Barty made a surprise switch to cricket. In spite of any formal training, Barty signed terms with Big Bash franchise Brisbane Heat.

Barty returned to tennis in 2016. The following season witnessed a significant breakthrough. She bagged her first singles title at the Malaysian Open, beating Japan's Nao Hibino 6-3, 6-2. There were runner-up finishes later in the season at the Birmingham Classic and the Wuhan Open. The Queenslander didn't progress beyond round three of any Grand Slam in this generally progressive campaign.

The 2018 season continued Barty’s upward career arc. She broke new ground at the majors with a first last 16 appearance coming at the US Open. Two further singles titles were added. A first on grass at the Nottingham Open against home player Jo Konta. Then, in November 2018, lifted the WTA Elite Trophy in China. Barty finished the year ranked at 15.

Barty's 2019 season saw her develop from a pretender into the finished article. It was a term that yielded Grand Slam glory at Roland Garros and ended it as world number one.

After losing the Sydney International final to Petra Kvitova in January, Barty was triumphant in her next final at the WTA 1000 Miami Open, her biggest title to date. The Aussie headed into the French Open as one of the highest seeds but had yet to experience a trophy lift on clay. Victories over Americans Madison Keys and Amanda Anisimova projected Barty into first Grand Slam singles. The title match was one-way traffic as Barty brushed aside Czech Marketa Vondrousova to become the first Australian woman to win at Roland Garros since Margaret Court in 1973.

Barty headed into the grass court season as world number two. The rise to number one materialised after Barty captured the Birmingham Classic at the Edgbaston Priory Club. She was the second female Australian world number one after Evonne Goolagong Cawley, a fellow Aboriginal star.

Barty firmed up her status at the summit by ending the season with glory at the obscenely lucrative WTA Finals in Shenzhen, China. Barty walked away with 4.42 million US dollars, the biggest cheque handed out in the history of the sport.

Home success at the Adelaide International got Barty’s 2020 campaign off to a flying start. A semi-final run at the Australian Open soon followed, where she was bested by the eventual winner Sofia Kenin. Much of the 2020 season was curtailed due to the global Covid pandemic. Barty opted out of both the rescheduled French and US Open tournaments. Despite these absences, Barty still remained world number one.

The 2021 season proved to be the apex of Barty’s short but significant career. It commenced with further success at home winning the quickly arranged Yarra Valley Classic. That title was after a quarter-final loss at the Australian Open to Czech Karolina Muchova in three sets.

Barty picked up the Miami Open after Bianca Andreescu, of Canada, retired hurt in the final, trailing by a set and 4-0. The month after, Barty reinforced her pre-eminent status when beating Aryna Sabalenka to win the Stuttgart Open 500. Her opponent avenged the loss at the Madrid Open 1000 a month later.

Barty completed a surface Slam when reigning supreme at the 2021 Wimbledon Championships. Her third major had come on a third different surface. A three-set victory over big-serving Czech Karolina Pliskova made her the first Australian to win at Wimbledon since Goolagong Cawley in 1980. She was also the fifth woman to win the women's singles having previously lifted the girl's singles trophy.

A second 1000 title of the year materialised at the Cincinnati Open. A 6-3, 6-1 win over Jill Teichmann priming Barty nicely for a tilt at the Career Grand Slam at the US Open. A third round loss to American Shelby Rogers put paid to any hopes of completing the major set. Barty finished 2001 as year-end number one for a third consecutive season.

The Australian tennis public had been starved of a singles champion, male or female, at their home major since Christine O'Neill was a surprise women's singles winner in 1978. Hopes had arguably never been higher than the 2022 edition with Barty the clear world number one.

After dismissing Americans Jessica Pegula and Madison Keys, the top seed was into a third major final to face another Statesider, Danielle Collins. A straight sets victory ended the long wait for Australian glory.

This victory turned out to be the 15th and last singles title for the versatile Barty, coming from 21 finals. Just two months after a career zenith, Barty surprised the tennis world by retiring when still world number one and holding two of the four Grand Slams. What lessened the shock was her previous diversion into cricket, suggesting tennis never consumed her like many others. Four years later and there's been no u-turn.

Barty was a world class doubles exponent. She won 12 titles including a Grand Slam. Her first five titles came alongside Dellacqua. The major triumph was at the 2018 US Open in unison with America’s Coco Vandeweghe. Other notable successes included four wins at 1000 level including back-to-back triumphs at the Italian Open.

Barty represented Australia at the Tokyo Olympics of 2021. She competed across all three disciplines. A first round singles loss was softened by accruing a bronze medal in the mixed doubles partnering John Peers.

Fed Cup participation for Barty resulted in a 11-2 singles record and 7-2 in doubles rubbers. In 2019, she was the figurehead of Australia's run to the 2019 final. They hosted France in the last Fed Cup Final before the name change to Billie Jean King Cup. It was a best of 5 tie that culminated in a doubles decider. Barty had won one and lost one in the singles before teaming up with Sam Stosur for the doubles climax. They suffered a demoralising loss to Kristina Mladenovic and Caroline Garcia to leave a partisan crowd frustrated.

Barty during her time playing cricket indulged another passion of fishing, and found time to build a new house.

She acts as an ambassador for National Indigenous Tennis. It's a role that swells her with great pride, “I'm a very proud indigenous woman and I think that for me taking on this role is something very close to my heart.” Barty has twice received the Sportsperson of the Year Award at the National Dreamtime Awards that honour the indigenous community.

Barty follows Richmond in Aussie Rules Football and Manchester United in football. She presented Richmond with the trophy when they were victors in the 2020 AFL Grand Final.

In 2017 she began a relationship with professional golfer Garry Kissick. They got married in 2022. They've since had two children, son Haydon in 2023 and daughter Jordan in 2025.

Barty was a crowd favourite as a player. Her amiable personality helped, but her all-court game provided a compelling counterpoint to the baseline heavy approach of so many leading players. There was a craft and guile to Barty’s game that made her mesmeric to watch. Her relatively diminutive stature of 5ft 5 didn't negate her service penetration. She consistently placed in the upper echelons with regard to service stats.

Pete Sampras retired after winning a Slam but even he had passed his absolute peak. Barty was very much in hers when she opted to call time at just 25 years of age. The US Open and a big trophy for her country were the only signature prizes to elude her in a compact career that saw her enjoy 121 weeks as world number one. It would've been fascinating to see how she would've fared against Iga Swiatek and Sabalenka, the two most successful female players since her retirement.