Ashleigh Barty, the world number one, announced her retirement on Wednesday in an unexpected announcement.
“Today is difficult and filled with emotion for me as I announce my retirement from tennis,” the Australian said on Instagram.
“Thank you to everyone who has supported me along the way, I’ll always be grateful for the lifelong memories that we created together.”
Barty, 25, will host a press conference on Thursday to give further details about her surprise retirement from tennis.
Since winning the 2019 French Open, the 2021 Wimbledon winner has been ranked number one in the world.
Barty became the first Australian woman tennis player to win the Australian Open since 1978 after winning the 2022 Australian Open.