Tennis: “The hardest part was trying to motivate her” confesses the coach of young retiree Ashleigh Barty

It's an earthquake announcement for everyone in tennis, except for Craig Tyzzer, Ashleigh Barty's coach.

Both were interviewed by several Australian journalists to come back to the origin of this decision.

Indeed, the world number 1 took everyone by surprise by retiring from tennis.

She had just won a last Grand Slam, the Australian Open earlier this year, without losing a set.

The Australian coach detailed that this choice did not really surprise him: "Ashleigh (Barty) probably remembers it, but after winning Roland-Garros in 2019, I had prepared a speech for him on the importance of this title. was going to mean to her.

And she replied: “Can I retire from tennis now?” I was not ready for that, it was a shock for me”.

Read alsoRetirement of Ashleigh Barty at 25: tennis, a devastating sport for player morale

The Australian whose regularity has been flawless has sometimes sinned for lack of involvement, according to her career.

She had already taken a break of eighteen months at the end of 2014, to play cricket.

In 2020, due to the health situation, she was away from the circuit for eleven months.

And the return of intense rhythm to the tennis calendar may not have helped the world number 1.

Craig Tyzzer felt his player's weariness at the end of 2021: "After Wimbledon, the dream of his life, I started to feel the end.

It was her only goal and she had achieved it.

Once we got to the Olympics, it struck me that there wasn't much left in her except for doubles."

Barty, who expressed "not regretting her choice", had one last goal: to win the Australian Open at home.

Craig Tyzzer explains: “The pre-season was difficult.

The hardest thing was trying to motivate her.

His tennis and his state of mind was so relaxed.

It's almost as if she doesn't care if she wins or loses.

A state of mind that will have allowed the Australian to end her career in style with this triumph at home that Australia had been waiting for since 1978. Barty therefore retires with 15 titles, 3 Grand Slams and 116 weeks spent in place of world number 1.