Ashleigh Barty has admitted that “nothing is keeping me away” from returning to pro tennis but it is just that she does not want to play anymore.
Barty, a former three-time Grand Slam champion, stunningly retired from pro tennis at the age of 25 in 2022 March. Nearly two years have passed since Barty’s sudden retirement from tennis and some are still shocked that the Australian decided to walk away from pro tennis while ranked at No. 1 and in her prime years.
Since retiring, some things have changed in Barty’s life as she is now a wife and a mother to a six-month-old child. Over the last few years, a new trend on the WTA Tour has seen several WTA players make a successful post-pregnancy comeback.
In Melbourne, Barty was asked about comeback rumors surrounding her and what are the chances of seeing her back in pro tennis.
Barty: There’s nothing keeping me away but I what I’m doing now
“There’s nothing keeping me away. It’s not like I’m doing things to keep myself away from the court,” Barty said, via News Corp Australia.
“I want to be there to raise Hayden and I want to be able to enjoy that.
“That’s what I want to do, plain and simple. That’s where my priorities lie now.
“I absolutely love being a mum. There’s nothing else that I prefer to do.”
When announcing her retirement in 2022 March, Barty indicated that she wanted to experience some other things in life. Shortly after her retirement, Barty tied the knot with her long-term partner Garry Kissick and the two also became parents this past year.
Judging by her statements, Barty enjoys being family orientated and that is probably a big reason why returning to pro tennis is not an option for the former world No. 1. But Barty is still just 27 and it will be interesting to see if something changes in Barty’s thinking in the near future.
