Master of many, Barty, says goodbye

Multi-talented Ashleigh Barty excels at so many sports that she has played professional cricket and even won a golf tournament, but it was in tennis where she rose to become the best in the world.

In January she took her place among the giants of Australian sport by winning her home Grand Slam.

It was fitting that Chris O'Neil, the last home-grown player to win the Australian Open, in 1978, was in the stadium to witness Barty ending a 44-year hoodoo and thrilling a nation glued to their televisions.

Less than two months later, Barty on Wednesday announced her shock retirement from tennis aged just 25.

She leaves the sport having been world number one for more than two years and with three Grand Slam singles titles, having also won the French Open in 2019 and Wimbledon last year.

It is unclear what she will do next, but it would be no surprise if Barty ended up becoming a champion in another sport, because few athletes can boast such a varied sporting CV as the down-to-earth Barty.

"I know how much work it takes to bring the best out of yourself ... I don't have that in me anymore," she said in video posted on her Instagram account on Wednesday.

"I don't have the physical drive, the emotional want and everything it takes to challenge yourself at the very top level any more. I am spent."

It marks Barty's second retirement from the sport, having walked away from the game as a teenager in late-2014 after becoming disaffected by the Tour.

Barty's surprise retirement from tennis was met with shock and an outpouring of well wishes from current and former greats Wednesday.

Karolina Pliskova, who Barty defeated to win Wimbledon last year, congratulated the Australian for an "incredible career".

"It was a privilege to share a court with you," tweeted the Czech former world number one. "You will be missed."

Britain's three-time Grand Slam champion and former number one Andy Murray said on Twitter: "Happy for @ashbarty. Gutted for tennis. What a player".