Barty has retired while ranked number one.

In a surprising announcement posted to her personal Instagram, the world’s number-one ranked tennis player, Ash Barty, revealed that she has decided to retire from the sport.

“I’m so happy, and I’m so ready. I just know at the moment, in my heart, for me as a person, this is right,” Barty said, adding that it was time to “chase other dreams.”

“It’s the first time I’ve actually said it out loud, and yeah, it’s hard to say,” Barty continued. “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.”

“I know I’ve done this before,” Barty said, laughing, “but in a very different feeling. I’m so grateful to everything that tennis has given me. It’s given me all of my dreams, plus more, but I know that the time is right now for me to step away and chase other dreams and to, yeah, put the rackets down.”

“I’ll never, ever, ever stop loving tennis,” Barty closed. “It will always be a massive part of my life, but now I think it’s important I get to enjoy the next phase of my life as Ash Barty the person, not Ash Barty the athlete.”