While Ash Barty recognizes that she has a ways to go before she can think about a professional golf career, she left the door open.
“We’ll wait and see,” she said when asked if there was any truth to the “whispers” about her wanting to pick up the sport professionally.
“I’ve got to try and learn how to hit the middle of the club face before I can think of trying to get on tour,” she demurred.
The world No. 1 announced her surprise retirement Wednesday, less than two months after winning the Australian Open.
Barty is no stranger to playing other sports. After stepping away from tennis in 2014, she took up cricket and played professionally in Australia for the Brisbane Heat in the Women’s Big Bash League. She also won a golf championship at Queensland’s Brookwater Golf Club in 2020, which has spurred rumors over the possibility of her picking up the sport.
Her father, Rob Barty, furthered the speculation after revealing that she’s “too good” at golf. The elder Barty is a former state amateur golfer himself.
“She can beat me,” he told AAP. “She’s the best golfer in the house.
“She plays off a three handicap around Brookwater and plays a couple of times a year. I don’t know what she’s going to do to be honest, but I know she gets a lot of enjoyment out of golf so I think she’ll play [more]. But I don’t know what she’ll do [professionally].”
While she said she would “never say never” about returning to playing tennis professionally again, Barty reiterated Thursday that she gave “absolutely everything that I could” during her career.
“I wouldn’t change a thing and I certainly have no regrets,” she said.