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Ashleigh Barty had just won the 2019 French Open and was standing on the court waiting for her team to join her.
It was her first major title, and the realization of every young tennis player’s dream. Her longtime coach Craig Tyzzer rushed to be by her side, preparing an inspirational speech as he made his way toward her.
But before he could share his thoughts and his pride for his star pupil, Barty, then 23, surprised him with a question.
“Can I retire now?”
Tyzzer was stunned. But this week, when the now-25-year-old Australian announced she would be walking away from the sport, he was not. Even though Barty holds the world No. 1 ranking and is less than two months removed from snapping a 44-year home title drought at the Australian Open.
Barty’s retirement news shocked the sports world, but not those who know her best.
“Ash does her own thing,” Tyzzer said on Thursday in a joint news conference with Barty. “And when we started [working] together, she wanted to do it the way she wanted to do it. I think it’s the right time. She won the Aussie Open for everyone, not just for her, I think that was for everyone else. I don’t think there’s anything left in the tank for her.”
In a sport where there are so many incredible talents and personalities – many known for their singular focus and constant drive — it makes what Barty chose to do, while at the top of her game, all the more rare.
On Sunday, the tennis world watched 35-year-old Rafael Nadal leave everything he had on the court in the BNP Paribas Open final against Taylor Fritz. Looking to keep his season-long perfect record intact and notch his fourth title on the year, Nadal chased down ball after ball – while struggling to breathe and experiencing discomfort in his chest due to what was later diagnosed as a stress fracture in his rib. It’s what we’ve come to expect from the icon.
Nadal may be unparalleled in his relentless tenacity, but he’s not an outlier in the sport when it comes to his quest for greatness…
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Source : espn
