Very few athletes walk away from their sport twice, and fewer still do it at the very top. Ashleigh Barty stepped away as a burnt-out teenager, came back to become world No. 1, won three Grand Slam titles on three different surfaces, and then retired at 25 as the best player on the planet. If you only know her from that tearful, smiling Australian Open win in 2022, the full story is even better.

Early Life & Background

Ashleigh Barty was born on 24 April 1996 in Ipswich, Queensland, and grew up in the Brisbane area. She is a proud Ngarigo woman through her father's side, and her Indigenous heritage has always been central to how she sees herself and her career. Her great inspiration was Evonne Goolagong Cawley, the Wiradjuri woman who won seven Grand Slam titles in the 1970s and 1980s and later became a mentor and friend.

Barty started playing at four, with coach Jim Joyce in Brisbane, and was obviously special early. She won the Wimbledon girls' title in 2011 at 15, and in 2013, still a teenager, she reached three Grand Slam women's doubles finals with Casey Dellacqua.

The Break & the Cricket Chapter

The travel, the expectations and the loneliness of the junior-to-pro transition took a toll. In late 2014, aged 18, Barty stepped away from tennis indefinitely. She went back to Queensland and, remarkably, took up professional cricket, playing for the Brisbane Heat in the first season of the Women's Big Bash League in 2015–16. For a player who had never played the sport at elite level, it was a remarkable leap, and she later said the team environment helped her rediscover what she loved about sport.

In 2016 she decided she missed tennis and came back, this time on her own terms, with coach Craig Tyzzer and a team who put her wellbeing first.

Playing Style

Barty played tennis that looked like it came from another era, and yet it beat the modern power game. At 1.66 m she was one of the shorter players at the top, but she had one of the best serves in women's tennis, accurate and well disguised rather than simply fast. Her forehand was heavy with topspin, and her sliced backhand was a genuine weapon, skidding low and forcing taller opponents to bend and lift the ball.

Add to that doubles-honed volleys, clever drop shots and a calm tactical mind, and you had a player who could solve almost any opponent. Fans often described watching Barty as watching someone play chess at speed.

Career Highlights

The comeback turned into something extraordinary:

• Roland Garros 2019: her first Grand Slam title, on clay, a surface many thought was her weakest
• World No. 1 on 24 June 2019, becoming the second Australian woman to reach the top after Goolagong Cawley
• WTA Finals 2019 champion in Shenzhen
• Wimbledon 2021: champion on the 50th anniversary of Goolagong Cawley's first Wimbledon title, wearing a scalloped dress inspired by Evonne's 1971 outfit
• Tokyo 2020 Olympics: bronze in mixed doubles with John Peers
• Australian Open 2022: champion without dropping a set, the first Australian to win the women's singles at home since Chris O'Neil in 1978
• US Open 2018 women's doubles champion with CoCo Vandeweghe

She finished with 15 WTA singles titles, 12 doubles titles, a singles record of 305–102, 121 weeks at No. 1 and $23,829,071 in prize money.

Three Finals to Remember

Roland Garros 2019 vs Markéta Vondroušová. Barty had never been past the second round at Roland Garros before that fortnight. In the final she took the ball early, served beautifully and won 6–1, 6–3 in about 70 minutes. Two weeks later, she was world No. 1.

Wimbledon 2021 vs Karolína Plíšková. Barty raced through the first set and led comfortably in the second before Plíšková fought back to force a decider. Barty steadied herself and won 6–3, 6–7, 6–3, fifty years after Goolagong Cawley's first Wimbledon triumph. It was the title she had dreamt of since she was a child.

Australian Open 2022 vs Danielle Collins. With the whole of Australia watching, Barty trailed 1–5 in the second set. She won six games in a row and then the tie-break to take the title 6–3, 7–6, finishing with a forehand winner and a roar that became one of the most replayed moments in Australian sport.

The Retirement

On 23 March 2022, less than two months after her Melbourne triumph, Barty announced her retirement in a video conversation with her friend and former doubles partner Dellacqua. She said she no longer had the physical drive and emotional want that it takes to compete at the very top, and that she had achieved her personal dream of winning Wimbledon. There was no injury, no scandal, just a person who knew she was done. Many fans were sad; few were surprised by her clarity.

Life After Tennis

Barty married her long-time partner, golf professional Garry Kissick, in July 2022. Their son Hayden was born in July 2023, and their daughter Jordan in June 2025.

She has stayed busy and close to the causes she cares about. She published an autobiography, My Dream Time, and a series of children's books, Little Ash, aimed at getting young kids reading and playing sport. She has established her own foundation, has mentored young Australian player Olivia Gadecki, and is a regular presence at tennis and community events in Queensland. She is also a keen and very capable golfer, a passion she shares with her husband.

There has been no sign of a tennis comeback, and she has said repeatedly that she is happy with her decision.

Legacy & Impact

Barty is one of the best Australian tennis players of all time and, for many, the most beloved. Her success as an Indigenous champion, her open conversations about mental health and her refusal to be defined only by results made her a role model far beyond tennis.

She also left an important lesson for fans and young players: walking away can be a strength, and so can coming back. If you want to understand how dominant 121 weeks at No. 1 really is, our guide to WTA ranking points shows how the ranking works.

Quick Facts

• Full name: Ashleigh Barty
• Country: Australia
• Born: 24 April 1996, Ipswich, Queensland
• Heritage: Ngarigo (Aboriginal Australian)
• Height: 1.66 m (5 ft 5 in)
• Plays: Right-handed, two-handed backhand (with a signature one-handed slice)
• Grand Slam singles titles: 3 (Roland Garros 2019, Wimbledon 2021, Australian Open 2022)
• Grand Slam doubles title: US Open 2018
• Singles titles: 15
• Highest ranking: No. 1 (first reached 24 June 2019), 121 weeks
• Career prize money: $23,829,071
• Retired: 23 March 2022, aged 25
• Family: married to Garry Kissick; son Hayden (2023), daughter Jordan (2025)

Last updated: September 2026