‘Couldn’t Stop Crying’ – Vulnerable Iga Swiatek Recalls Former No.1’s Retirement That Completely Broke Her

Ashleigh Barty was one of the greatest talents the WTA had ever seen. She came to the sport, set fire to it, and then left it to play cricket professionally. She returned to tennis again and continued her dominance in the sport once again. The talent she possessed was beyond the comprehension of many, but no one could deny her ability. But she didn’t stick to tennis for long once again and retired when she turned 25.

The news of her retirement took every player by shock. However, one player was hugely taken aback, and it was none other than the current World no. 1, Iga Swiatek. Her mind spiraled, and she broke down when she learned the news of her rivals stepping back.

Iga Swiatek shed tears when Ashleigh Barty retired

Ashleigh Barty retired from tennis in March 2022 while holding rank 1. She said that she retired because she did not have the drive to play at the top after winning the Wimbledon. Barty’s retirement sent waves of shock through the entire world, and many expressed their shock. But perhaps no one was as affected as Iga Swiatek.

In a recent interview, Swiatek recalled the moment when she got anxious and was left confused as her psychiatrist told her the news regarding  Barty’s retirement. She even called her father, who could not provide a proper response at that time. However, she was overwhelmed with tears when she called him and continued to cry. 

Swiatek said, “But I was sobbing. I couldn’t stop crying. Honestly, it didn’t really have that much to do with potentially moving up in the ranking. It might sound strange, but I was so confused & shocked that Ash was 25, & she was retiring.” Iga Swiatek really did not care about how Barty’s decision affected her, but she continued to think about her act of early retirement. 

She continued, “I always had this image in my mind that you retire when you’re 32, & your body can’t cope anymore. I also felt like Ash has the best tennis out there, hands down. I couldn’t wrap my head around it.”

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While the news of Ashleigh Barty’s retirement took Iga Swiatek by shock, she understood why she was hanging up the racket when she heard what Barty had to say.

Swiatek understands Barty’s perspective

The Polish player said, “There are these ideas that we have in ourselves as players that come from our parents & tennis & media & all this about how an athlete should be. But when I saw Ash, I was like, Wow, you can choose to do this differently. While you’re on this journey, striving for excellence, you can sometimes say, ‘Okay, that’s enough.’ You’re in control, the whole way. No one else is driving the car.”

She further said that the best solution to many problems is to not care. Swiatek gave Barty credit for this mental strategy and the success she experienced last year and said that the freedom from the thoughts of others helped her power through. It became a solid strategy for her, and she reminded herself of the time when she was feeling insecure. 

Iga Swiatek has gone beyond Ashleigh Barty’s tally of grand slams while being much younger than her. As her career continues, she is bound to surprise us to an even greater extent.

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