Australia's 44-year ceaseless wait abolishes as home favourite Ashleigh Barty brings the prestigious trophy back home. She defeated America's Danielle Collins by 6-3 7-6(7-2).

The breath-taking sublime match that ended the 44-year old wait, witnessed a variety of shots. From smooth slice shots, thunderous two-handed backhand shots, the forehand top-spins to the Volleys, the match witnessed it all. Just like the match, Ashleigh Barty's interest in sports varied from time to time. From playing cricket and golf to finally finding her peace in tennis rackets, the Three-times grand slam champion has aced it all.

However, it was during practice when Ashleigh Barty casually slipped the tennis ball from her hip. That was a deliberate peek to the leg, that attracted the most attention.

Read also: Australian Open 2022: Ashleigh Barty brings back the glory

It was 2015, and Barty was a doubles competitor as well as a solo potential when she decided to retire from a sport she had been playing since she was four years old. Afterwards, When Barty was asked to speak at the national women's cricket team dinner, she was guiding kids throughout their sports journey. There, she told Queensland cricketers Jess Jonassen, Delissa Kimmince and Beth Mooney: "I really wouldn't mind giving cricket a go."

"It was half a throwaway line, half-serious chat. The girls came back and told me," says Andy Richards. He was the coach of Queensland Fire and was putting together a team for a crucial event that year. "I'd tried it with a few different sportspeople before so I thought we would give it a go. She came in and we just had a coffee and then I said okay, we'll organise to have a hit and see what she looked like."

Barty, dressed in rented gear, confronted 150 deliveries at the hit."She'd never played the game, except for some backyard cricket. And during that first hit, she was probably already better than the bottom third of my squad. I asked her if she would like to come and train. She said no, not until she'd had another four or five hits. She didn't want to embarrass herself. Also, she didn't want to put anybody out." added Richards. However, eventually, The Aussie was able to earn her spot in the team.

Barty was a "Coach's dream"

"An extraordinarily talented woman. Her hand-eye coordination is as good as I've seen from a crossover sports point of view. Elite athletes like her have awareness about where their body needs to be, to execute their skill" in Richard's words.

Furthermore, a quick examination of Barty's gameplay reveals why she was capable of transferring her abilities from the court to the pitch. How the 5'5 all-courter goes toe-to-toe with larger and stronger opponents, staying on top of the rebound to 'flat smash' the forehand. With a double backhand, she descends and grabs the ball, often on the half-volley, and smashes it deep cross-court.

"She added so much more to our sport from a professional point of view. We were at that crossroads, sort of moving into full professionalism in women's cricket, and she was able to add a whole different perspective for the girls and us as well. I was devastated when she came up to me one day and said, 'Look, I think I want to get back into tennis,'" said Richards. "But deep down, I knew that was where she belonged."

Nevertheless, Cricket, according to Richards, provided Barty with a lifelong feeling of belonging and teammates. Also, the former coach of Barty knew that cricket's loss is Australia's gain.

According to Barty, her 18-month hiatus from tennis helped her become a "better person, both on and off the court." A more capable tennis player. She returned in 2016 and has since achieved a world No. 1 ranking and three Grand Slam titles. It was Barty's third major singles championship, including last year's Wimbledon victory and her 2019 French Open conquest. With this historical win, three-time grand slam champion Barty becomes the First Nations woman to win the tournament after Goolagong Cawley's four victories from 1974 to 1977.

Also, She joins O'Neil, Goolagong Cawley, Kerry Reid, and Margaret Court as the fifth Australian to win the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup in the Open era.

Read also: Australian Open 2022: Rafael Nadal fetches his 21st grand slam title

The French Open, often known as Roland-Garros, is an annual tennis tournament held at the Stade Roland-Garros in Paris. The French Open is the second Grand Slam of the year. It is the only Grand Slam played on clay court, making it one of the most anticipated tennis events of the year. It is thought to be one of the most arduous grand slams to win, as the best-of-five-sets format on clay makes the battle extremely exhausting, and only the fittest players can emerge as the French Open Winners.

Also Read: Most matches in Tennis history (male & female): Tennis Records

However, during its 131 years of reigning, the French Open has been a witness of several unexpected moments. From one man unbelievably acquiring 13 French Open titles to the rise of numerous unexpected winners, the event has seen it all. Let us have a trip to memory lane and look at the female French Open winners from the Last 10 years.

French Open Winners: (Women)

1. French Open 2015 Winner- Serena Williams

The Sovereign of Power Tennis won the 2015 French Open women's title, defeating Lucie Safarova 6-3, 6-7 (2), 6-2. In a spectacular match, the 28-year-old was putting up a fantastic effort against Serena. Although, she didn't stand a chance against Serena's thunderous shots in the end. However, after this triumph, Williams also became the first woman to win consecutive U.S. Open, Australian Open, and French Open titles since Monica Seles in 1991-92.

Read also: French Open Winners: Last 10 years (Men)

2. French Open 2016 Winner- Garbiñe Muguruza

22-Year-old Garbine Muguruza stunned tennis fans when she upset Serena Williams at the 2016 French Open. As a result, the American's dream to win a 22nd Grand Slam singles title and tie Steffi Graf's Open-era record was dashed.

Nevertheless, Muguruza upset the former world number 1 in straight sets(7–5, 6–4) to win her maiden Grand Slam title at the French Open. Thereafter, Muguruza became the first Spanish woman to win the championship since Arantxa Sánchez Vicario defeated Monica Seles in the final in 1998.

3. French Open 2017 Winner- Jeļena Ostapenko

Jelena Ostapenko won her maiden Grand Slam championship as a professional in the 2017 French Open women's final. She hushed the naysayers and demonstrated that she belongs amongst stars by becoming the first unseeded player to win at Roland Garros.

However, she fought back to win 6-4, 6-3 after losing the first set 4-6 to former No. 3 Simona Halep. Thus, Ostapenko became the youngest first-time Grand Slam champion since Svetlana Kuznetsova won the US Open at the age of 19 in 2004.

4. French Open 2018 Winner- Simona Halep

Halep seemed practically helpless against Sloane Stephens in the opening set of the French Open Women's singles final, trailing 3-6, 0-2 at one point. But in the second set, Halep turned up the heat with a ferocity that helped her capture her maiden Grand Slam title with a 3-6, 6-4, 6-1 victory. After losing at the Australian Open, Halep not only quenched her thirst, but she also became the first Romanian to win a Grand Slam since 1978.

5. French Open 2019 Winner- Ashleigh Barty

Ashleigh Barty, a three-time grand slam champion, became the first Australian women's singles player to win the French Open since Margaret Court in 1973. In a one-sided final, she thrashed Marketa Vondrousova, a Czech player, 6-1, 6-3. As a result, the Aussie earned the prestigious trophy and effectively carried her country's expectations on her shoulders.

6. French Open 2020 Winner- Iga Świątek

Iga Swiatek, a 19-year-old tennis sensation, won the 2020 French Open in straight sets, crowning herself as the sport's latest superstar. The result was never in doubt, as the girl appeared to be completely unfazed throughout the game, and she triumphed in just one hour and 24 minutes. Nonetheless, with this victory by her side, Swiatek became the first Pole to win a Grand Slam singles title.

Also Read: ATP & WTA Rankings: Most number of weeks as World No.1 Tennis Player

7. French Open 2021 Winner- Barbora Krejčíková

Unseeded Barbora Krejcikova won her first Grand Slam singles title at the French Open 2021, defeating Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova of Russia to become the first Czech woman to be awarded the title in 40 years. However, Krejcikova, playing just her fifth main draw in a Slams singles event, triumphed 6-1, 2-6, 6-4 for a second career title. As a result, The champion followed in the footsteps of compatriot Hana Mandlikova, who won the title in 1981 in Paris.

8. French Open 2022 winner- Iga Swiatek

World Number One Iga Swiatek of Poland won the French Open 2022 Women's Singles Title by beating US teenager Coco Gauf. The 21-year-old clinched her second title in three years in straight sets 6-1, 6-3 over Gauff. In addition, she is the youngest player ranked in the top ten. Iga was the 2020 French Open champion and is the first player representing Poland to win a Grand Slam singles title.

Also Read: Top 10 fastest serves in tennis history (WTA Recognised)

9. French Open 2023 winner- Iga Swaitek

Iga Swiatek defeated Karolína Muchová to win the French Open 2023 title. Iga rewrote the history books with her third French Open title. She became only the second women's player to defend the Roland Garros title this century after Justine Henin did it in 2006. The 22-year-old also became the youngest player to win the Claycourt Major in consecutive years since Monica Seles (19) in 1992. She is also the youngest to win four Grand Slams since Serena Williams (20) in 2002.

10. French Open 2024 winner- Iga Swaitek

Iga Swiatek achieved the rare feat of winning a third successive French Open women's title and fourth overall with a comprehensive victory over Italian 12th seed Jasmine Paolini. Poland’s Swiatek continued her recent dominance on the Roland Garros clay with a 6-2 6-1 win against first-time major finalist Paolini.

Also Read: Iga Siwatek wins her fourth Roland Garros title; her third in a row

It was Swiatek's fifth Grand Slam singles title. In open-era women’s tennis, only Evert and Graf (6) have won more Roland Garros titles than her, and she becomes the first woman since Henin in 2007 to triumph thrice in a row in Paris. She also became the only woman apart from Serena Williams to do the Madrid-Rome-Paris triple – winning all three of the most important clay court events on the calendar in the same year.

Novak Djokovic is waiting for positive news on whether he can able to play in the Australian Open next year. But he doesn't regret his status of being unvaccinated against Covid-19 despite missing two Grand Slams this year.

Also read: Roger Federer's last match: When and where to watch Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal's doubles match in Laver Cup

"No, I don't have any regrets, I mean, I do feel sad that I wasn't able to play, but, you know, that was decision that I made," Djokovic told reporters on Thursday on the eve of the Laver Cup in London.

The 35-year-old was unable to defend his Australian Open in January. The Australian government kicked him out because of his unvaccinated status. Djokovic was cleared to play at the French Open and Wimbledon, winning the latter tournament. But he couldn't participate in the US Open due to US entry rules on unvaccinated foreigners. Speaking ahead of the Laver Cup 2022 in London on Thursday, Djokovic was asked about the probability of playing at the Australian Open in January. Australian laws generally state that anyone deported cannot reapply for a visa for three years unless there are exceptional circumstances.

"I'm waiting for the news, it's really not in my hands right now. I'm hoping I can get some positive news soon." Djokovic added.

Novak Djokovic won the Wimbledon title this year. And since then he has not participated in any ATP tournaments. He is currently seventh in the ATP rankings due to his lack of activity.

Also read: Novak Djokovic says, "I'm not against vaccination, but my body is more important than any title"

Seeking to put a difficult year behind him, Djokovic appeared happy to be at the Laver Cup in the British capital where Federer will make his last professional appearance in a doubles match with Nadal on Friday. Djokovic could also link up with Federer and Nadal at some point as their Europe team take on Team World at the three-day tournament in London.

Ashleigh Barty, former world No.1 tennis star, retired from tennis only at the age of 25. She has no regrets about the early retirement as well as doesn't plan to start playing golf professionally. There was speculation that she might start playing golf. But she clears all the doubts, saying she has no plans for that.

At the time of her retirement, Ashleigh Barty was the number 1 tennis star in the world. She has recently won the Australian Open women's singles title. Suddenly, 25-year old Barty decided to say goodbye to the professional tennis just two month after claiming her third Grand Slam titles. At such a young age, Aussie tennis star's decision has surprised the entire sports world.

Also read: Tennis latest news: Ashleigh Barty retires from Tennis at 25

There was speculation that she might become a professional golfer in April by signing up for a series of exhibition tournaments. There will be 23 other celebrities from the world of sport. But she clears all the doubts, saying she has no plans for that.

"I have no regrets about retiring. Not one. I knew it was the right time for me. It was what I wanted to do," She told The Guardian in an interview on Monday. "And yeah, it's been incredible. It's been everything that I ever wanted." She added.

Barty has achieved a lot in her short career. Only at the age of 25, she has topped the world tennis rankings and holds three Grand Slam trophies. Winning the French Open in 2019 was the first Grand Slam of her career. She has won Wimbledon in 2021 and won the Australian Open in early 2022. The Australian also won a bronze medal in mixed doubles at the Tokyo Olympics. In addition to the Grand Slam, her trophy cabinet has a 15 singles titles and 12 doubles titles.

Also read:Australian Open 2022: Ashleigh Barty brings back the glory

Barty plays off a handicap of four at her golf club in Queensland and is engaged to a trainee professional. But later she said, she plays only for fun as golf is her hobby.

"Golf is a hobby and it always will be. I know what it takes to get to the very top of any sport, and I don't have the desire or want to do the work required."

Ashleigh Barty, the world's number one tennis player, shocked the tennis world when she announced her retirement at the age of 25 on 23rd March, Wednesday. In an Instagram video, Barty expressed her gratitude for "everything this sport has given me" before announcing that it was the "right" time for her to put her "racquets down."

Nevertheless, the Australian tennis star, who has previously demonstrated her remarkable skills in the Women's Big Bash League, quit as the world's top-ranked tennis player after more than two years at the top.

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"I want to be remembered as Serena Williams"- Ashleigh Barty

However, in the last several hours, shocking news has occurred that drastically changes the scenario. "Yes, I have second thoughts," the Australian tennis player said on a podcast about her return to the court.

"In retrospect, my retirement was a bad decision. I have decided that I will return to tennis. Starting from the grass swing, with the intention to be competitive for Wimbledon. My goal is to win the US Open and complete the career grand Slam, and become the GOAT of women's tennis," she reiterated.

Read more: Tennis latest news: Ashleigh Barty retires from Tennis at 25

"I want to be remembered as Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova, Steffi Graff and all the other great champions. I'll be back to play!" the three-time Grand Slam champion concluded.

The competition is extreme in sports globally. Hundred and thousands of athletes compete to play for their country but not everyone can achieve their goals. Only a few can reach the stage but unfortunately many among them retire due to unforeseen reasons. Apart from being physically unfit due to age, athletes retire due to injuries, mental pressure, and a lot more. Here is a list of five athletes who retired early in their careers due to personal reasons.

Michael Jordan

Michael Jordan, the greatest basketball player of all time, retired when he was at his career's peak. He was 30 years old at that moment. It was on 6 October 1993, when he decided to retire even after being at the height of his basketball prowess. Jordan later said that he was losing his wish to play the sport. Also, he wrote in his autobiography that he was feeling exhausted to play in the Olympic team and was deciding to retire in that year only. In fact, his father's murder was a reason that impacted him. If Jordan continued playing, he could have reached some unbelievable extent of his career.

Ashleigh Barty

Ashleigh Barty stunned the tennis world after announcing her retirement on Wednesday. The World No. 1 women's tennis player took to Instagram to share her decision last Tuesday night. Withing the age of 25 years, she won 3 Grand Slams, 15 WTA Tour championships, and also has a 305-102 career record. The Australian is leading as the World No. 1 since 24 June 2019. She stated that she didn't have that enthusiasm to continue anymore. "I've said it to my team multiple times — 'I just don't have that in me anymore.' Physically, I have nothing more to give. I've given absolutely everything I have to this beautiful sport of tennis, and I'm really happy with that. For me, that is my success."

Ravi Shastri

Ravi Shastri was quite an effective player of the Indian cricket team during his time. He was one of the famous names in the cricket fraternity at that point. The former Indian head coach played 80 tests and 150 ODIs for India from 1981 to 1992. Also, he proved to be a key all-rounder and executed good skills with his left-arm spin as well. Unfortunately, Shastri had to retire at the age of 31 due to his injuries. Later, he moved on to commentary and then went ahead to coach the Indian team.

Bjorn Borg

Bjorn Borg retired from the tennis world only at the age of 26 years. He became the first tennis player to win 11 Grand Slam singles titles in the Open Era between 1974 and 1981. The legend held the ATP No. 1 ranking for 109 weeks and also won 11 Grand Slams during that time. The former world No. 1 played only 1 tournament in 1982 even after staying physically fit and ended up losing in the quarter-finals. Also, he lost the final of the 1981 Wimbledon Championships. He felt at that point that his desire to play was gone. He said later, "When I lost what shocked me was I wasn't even upset. That was not me: losing a Wimbledon final and not upset. I hate to lose."

Eric Cantona

At the age of 30 years, Eric Cantona announced his retirement on 17 May 1997. The French midfielder was a legend of Manchester United. He contributed to winning 4 Premier League titles in 5 years while playing at the club. People even composed songs for the legend. Their manager Alex Ferguson also recognized him as 1 of the 4 world-class players he witnessed during his 26 years of journey in the club. He was at his peak at the time of retirement and he could have achieved a lot more but he ended his journey with 2 FA Cups and 1 FWA Player of the Year award.