World No.1 women's tennis player Ashleigh Barty announces shock retirement

Sydney, March 23

World No. 1 women's tennis player, Australia's Ashleigh Barty, has announced her retirement, according to wtatennis.com.

The three-time Grand Slam winner, Barty's current reign of 114 consecutive weeks at No.1 is the fourth-longest streak in the history of the WTA Tour.

The outgoing Australian is one month shy of her 26th birthday.

"It's the first time I've actually said it out loud and, yeah, it's hard to say," an emotional Barty told former doubles partner Casey Dellacqua in an interview. "But I'm so happy, and I'm so ready.

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