Jayden Collins
Recently retired tennis star Ash Barty has won her first post-retirement title, playing at a local golf tournament in Brisbane.
There has been a swirl of speculation about what Barty’s next career move would be after her shock retirement from the world of tennis at just 25 years of age.
She retired as world number one, finishing at the top of her game following her Wimbledon and the Australian Open win in a matter of months.
She made her announcement last month, citing that she had achieved everything she had set out to achieve in the game of tennis.
In the video, she had said: “It's hard to say, but I'm so happy and I'm so ready and I just know at the moment in my heart, for me as a person, this is right.
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"I know I've done this (retired) before but in a very different feeling and I am so grateful to everything that tennis has given me.
"It's given me all of my dreams, plus more, but I know that the time is right now for me to step away and chase other dreams and to put the racquets down."
With Barty still at the height of her athletic prowess, there was plenty of speculation that she would pick up a golf club or potentially move back into cricket as she did in 2015.
Over the weekend, Barty won a competition at the Brookwater Golf and Country Club near Brisbane and was awarded $30 as her winning prize.
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Although pocket change for Barty, she shot a round of 34 to finish first in a field of five women.
Barty has long been known to be a talented golfer, playing off a handicap of 4, and even impressed American legend, Tiger Woods, at an exhibition event in Melbourne.
Back in 2021, she spoke to Australian Golf Digest about exploring her other sporting passion during the pandemic.
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She said: “Golf has always been a sport that’s come quite naturally to me. I mean, even my mum was a very, very good golfer herself and her whole family loves to play.
“I guess if there was one sport that’s truly in the Barty genes, it’s probably golf, more so than tennis.”
9news Sports Presenter Michael Atkinson reacted to her tournament win over the weekend, tweeting: “Ash Barty… LPGA, next move”
Watch this space.