Ash Barty Is Retiring at 25. At the Same Age, I’ve Barely Began My Career.

Stop comparing and just enjoy the climb.

Photo by Renith R on Unsplash

When I woke up this morning, I reflexively reached for my phone (like every other morning) and opened my social media apps.

I first went to Twitter, where I saw a tweet about Ash Barty’s retirement:

For those of you who don’t know, Ash Barty is an Australian tennis player who’s ranked no.1 globally in women’s singles. She’s won three Grand Slams, earned fifteen titles, and brought home nearly $24 million in prize money throughout her career. In short, she’s an amazing person.

I saw Barty’s match at the 2020 Australian Open in Melbourne, and I remember being captivated by the sight of her athletic prowess.

And now she’s retiring at 25 years old.

Some people criticized her choice, saying she’s wasting her incredible talent by retiring too early. But I think I understand her decision.