"You have to come back" - Serena Williams halted Ashleigh Barty's retirement with inspiring text message

Ashleigh Barty continues to add to her growing legacy, as the Queensland native lifted her first Australian Open title in front of her home crowd on Saturday.

Barty's Grand Slam tally now stands at three, with the Aussie having won Roland Garros (2019) and Wimbledon (2021). However, it was only seven years ago that the World No.1 walked away from the sport with no hint that she'd ever come back.

After losing in the opening round of the 2014 US Open, Barty, then just 18 years old, announced she was taking "a break from professional tennis" and instead began pursuing a career in cricket.

"It was too much too quickly for me as I've been travelling from quite a young age," she said at the time. "I wanted to experience life as a normal teenaged girl and have some normal experiences."

Following just one successful season with two cricket teams, the Queensland Fire and the Brisbane Heat, however, Barty returned to tennis in early 2016.

Speaking with The Courier Mail, per 7News, the Australian's former coach Jim Joyce revealed that it was a 2015 text from none other than tennis icon Serena Williams that inspired Barty to give tennis one more try. 

"Ash was in a restaurant I think and Serena sent her a message saying, 'You are too good a player to retire. You have to come back,'" Joyce said.

Williams statement proved to be correct, as Barty returned to the WTA Tour the following year and began a gradual ascent to the top of the women's game.