MELBOURNE: Former top-ranked Tennis player and Australian Open champion Ashleigh Barty has put an end to the speculations making rounds on the internet regarding her switching to Golf and pursuing a professional career in the sport.

Barty, who put a shocking end to her professional Tennis career, weeks after becoming the first Australian to win the Australian Open after a gap of 44 years, was seen playing Golf after her retirement.

The three-time Grand Slam champion has been a passionate golfer, having won the Brookwater Golf Club women’s title in 2020 and participated in the Icons Series exhibition in the United States in April.

As a result, rumours began to circulate that the multi-talented Australian may take up Golf professionally.

In an interview with a Melbourne radio station, however, Barty refuted the speculations thoroughly and made it clear that she will not play professional sports ever again.

“You guys just can’t accept that I don’t want to play professional sport anymore. I love golf, it’s a hobby of mine. It will not be my profession, I have no intention of making it my profession but I hack around once a week if I can,” Barty said.

“There’s no need, there’s no desire for me to play professional sport, particularly golf. I love it as a walkaround with my girlfriends and friends but yeah, not for me,” she added.

It is pertinent to mention here Barty has also played professional cricket as she made her mark in the inaugural season of the Women’s Big Bash League. She represented Brisbane Heat in nine matches and scored 68 runs at an average of 11.33.

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