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via Getty

via Getty

Former world number 1 Ash Barty was one of the best tennis players in the past decade. Barty has three Grand Slam titles to her name while also being the reigning Wimbledon and Australian Open champion. She recently declared her retirement from professional tennis at the early age of 25.

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Considering her immense contribution to sports as a whole and her involvement in youth development, the government of Australia has named her an Officer of the Order of Australia.

Barty named an Officer of the Order of Australia

The 25-year-old received her first Australian state honor after being named an Officer of Order of Australia. The three-time Grand Slam champion received her award three months after announcing her retirement. After the announcement, the Aussie came up with an official statement.

“There are so many Australian people who do wonderful things for our country and I want to congratulate all of the other award recipients on being recognized for their contributions, On a personal level, I always try to uphold Australian values – being humble, respectful, kind and caring for others.” She said.

Read more: ‘Have Been Working On Something Special’- Ash Barty Announces Exciting News for Fans

Ash Barty starts a new journey

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Recently, Barty returned to sports, but this time there was a golf club instead of a tennis racquet in her hand. Barty is multi-talented, having played cricket as well as tennis on a professional level. Now she is making her mark on golf, winning the ladies’ golf championship at the Brookwater Golf and country club in April.

via Reuters

While the 25-year-old was making her mark on the WTA tour, she was number 1 for a record of 121weeks. Also, she made her mark in the doubles as well and had her highest ranking of world number 5. She also won three Grand Slam titles and, in total, 15 single titles. Not to forget, she also won a bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics as well.

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Apart from tennis, the 25-year-old did really well in cricket, participating in the inaugural season of Women’s Big bash league in 2014-15. While she is still exploring different avenues, she will definitely rule the sport which she settles in at last. An athlete of her kind is rare and truly deserved the award.