Questions lost in time as Barty bids farewell to tennis glory

How much would she have won if she had stayed on the circuit to bewitch her opponents with pirouettes and varied trajectories? How would she have coped with rising stars like 20-year-old Iga Swiatek or the courage of Maria Sakkari?

Ones for the ages, unfortunately.

Barty – 114 weeks as world number one and three Grand Slam crowns for good – revealed she was call time on his tennis moment at the age of 25.

The decision was announced Wednesday during a social media conversation with longtime friend and former doubles partner Casey Dellacqua.

And why not? Barty has always done things his own way.

Cricket anyone?

In 2014, as a rising star, the teenager left the tennis circuit to pursue her passion for cricket. And she was pretty good at it.

From the Western Suburbs District Cricket Club in Brisbane, she progressed to the Brisbane Heat for the 2015–16 Women’s Big Bash League 20-over season.

There were also appearances in two 50-over matches for Queensland in the Women’s National Cricket League.

In 2017, she was back on the senior women’s circuit with renewed vigor.

“It was truly an incredible time in my life,” Barty said. “I met an incredible group of people who didn’t care if I could hit a tennis ball or not. They accepted me and they got to know Ash Barty. They got to know me. “

This desire for “me” could well serve as a road map for dozens of athletes working under pressure to achieve one success after another.

Model

Tennis, Naomi Osaka collapse at Roland-Garros IIn 2021, due to the mental turmoil she experiences during post-match media interviews, she emphasizes Barty’s common sense.

Why wait to disintegrate when the signs of a breakup are obvious?

“I know how much work it takes to get the best out of yourself and I’ve told my team that many times, I just don’t have that in me anymore,” Barty said.

“I don’t have the physical drive, the emotional drive and everything it takes to challenge myself at the highest level.

“I just know that I’m absolutely – I’m exhausted – I just know that physically I have nothing left to give. And for me, that’s success. I gave absolutely everything I could to this beautiful sport of tennis.”

The woman is so grounded that she could be a tectonic plate.

Yet the paradox of his reductive thinking is likely to reap rewards for others.

Shortly after becoming the first Australian to win a Grand Slam singles title on home soil since Christine McNeil in 1978, Barty, from the indigenous Ngarigo people, presented her trophy to young people from the Mutitjulu community near Uluru, in central Australia.

A clue perhaps to one of his next steps?

Barty coach Craig Tyzzer told reporters following his announcement that he suspected a change was coming.

“I kind of started to believe after Wimbledon” said Tyzzer. “I mean, it was an obvious goal for us and once she achieved it… well… I think once we got to the Olympics, it made me feel better. It kind of struck me that there wasn’t much left in her.

“The motivation wasn’t there except when she played doubles and mixed doubles, her singles really went by the wayside.

“I kind of felt like she had climbed to where she needed to get to and it was going to be hard work to keep her involved.”

Will

And if anyone knows Barty’s strength, it’s the man who has been with him since his return from a two-year hiatus.

She was part of the inner sanctum of Grand Slam victories at Roland Garros in 2019 as well as at Wimbledon last year – where she won the women’s singles in 2011 – and in Melbourne at the end of the year.

In addition to these three major crowns, Barty won the 2019 season-ending women’s championships as well as the Miami and Cincinnati tournaments, which sit just below the Grand Slam events in terms of prestige.

She leaves with 15 titles in total and career earnings in excess of €20 million.

A tidy sum to finance his love of golf, fishing and reading.

She leaves with invaluable goodwill. Tributes poured in from his fellow players.

Former world number 1 Simona Halep posted a photo of the duo at the net after a match. Warmth and mutual respect radiate from smiles and handshakes after the fight.

Ironically, in her short career, Barty was able to remake the circuits of the women’s tour in the same way that the Williams sisters did with their philosophy and longevity.

The sisters arrived straight from Compton and, once in their stride, pursued extracurricular activities such as fashion and design while continuing to amass trophies.

It’s not a done deal, they said. But two black women at the top of the sport had never been a tennis affair. So why would they follow the “right” path?

If they had accepted a proper form, they would not have been in a position to be criticized.

Understanding

Understanding the mentality of athletes has evolved from the restrictive parameters that held Williams down.

And the successes of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal at Grand Slam tournaments after an absence – albeit due to injuries – have also redefined concepts of preparation for the sport’s biggest tests.

“How did we get to a point where it’s surprising that a top athlete has a healthy mindset?” wrote Cath Bishop in an article for the British newspaper The Guardian.

The former Olympic rower turned diplomat and author gives his advice to The True Athlete Projecta program that aims to ensure that athletes maintain their balance while striving to achieve their goals.

“So often we forget that athletes are also daughters, friends, partners, with many other interests,” Bishop wrote.

“Identity issues are particularly perilous for athletes. Once defined solely by the achievements of hitting balls, pulling paddles, or throwing objects, mental health issues quickly follow: injuries become a crisis of life; transition and retirement can be devastating; poor performance can attack self-worth.

Go out high

“Barty was very smart in defining success on her own terms. She created a new way to enjoy the tennis experience, by consciously creating a schedule that avoids a repeat of burnout and surrounding herself with a trusted team to share the journey alongside him.”

Millions of spectators were delighted – but perhaps not his opponents – by Barty’s vicious backhand and angled crosscourt forehands.

And it will indeed be a hard heart that will not be warmed by that dimpled smile, whether born of victory or defeat.

She leaves as queen of the stage for the world number 1.

Another winner of a winner.