Ash Barty had her tennis farewell ruined - by Vladimir Putin. Barty shocked the sporting world earlier this week by announcing her retirement at the age of just 25.
The Australian star confirmed the decision on social media on Wednesday, revealing she was quitting to "chase other dreams".But the three-time Grand Slam winner and world no.1 didn't get the send off she dreamed of - all because of Russian president Putin.
Speaking on Thursday, Barty suggested she planned to represent Australia one final time before hanging up her racquet.The Australian tennis team were due to play Slovakia in a qualifying match for the Billie Jean King Cup next month, but Putin's horrific invasion of Ukraine changed the layout of the tournament.
Russia had already qualified for this year's finals by virtue of having won the 2021 tournament. But in line with sporting organisations around the world, the International Tennis Federation (ITF) decided to ban the team from competing.That allowed Australia straight into the finals - removing the need for their qualification tie against Slovakia and thus denying Barty a chance to represent her country one final time. Do you think Ash Barty has stepped away from tennis too soon?
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