Tennis world number one Ashleigh Barty has surprisingly announced the end of her career.
"Today is a difficult day full of emotions for me as I announce my departure from tennis," the 25-year-old Australian wrote on Instagram on Wednesday.
“I am so grateful for everything this sport has given me and I say goodbye with pride and fulfillment.
Thank you to everyone who has supported me on this journey.”
At the beginning of March, Barty had already announced that she would not be taking part in the prestigious tennis tournaments in Indian Wells and Miami.
After winning the Australian Open, she was not yet physically ready for the events, she emphasized.
At the end of January, Barty ensured a home triumph in Melbourne for the first time since 1978.
In total, she has won three Grand Slams in her career.
Before the Australian Open, she had already won Wimbledon and the French Open.
Barty had already interrupted her career for almost two years at the age of 18 and took a break.
Upon her return in May 2016, she quickly rose to become a top player and has now been at the top of the world rankings for 114 weeks.
Only three players have held the number one spot longer than Barty, who turns 26 in a month.