When Rob Barty's wife told him six years ago that their 18-year-old daughter would quit tennis after the 2014 US Open, he was not surprised.
The US Open that year was the first time Ashleigh Barty had qualified to compete in a Grand Slam, yet her father "knew it was coming" because his daughter had been "sad all the time" and was not herself on the court.
Already a subscriber? Log in
Read the full story and more at $9.90/month
Get exclusive reports and insights with more than 500 subscriber-only articles every month
ST One Digital
$9.90/month
No contract
ST app access on 1 mobile device
Unlock these benefits
All subscriber-only content on ST app and straitstimes.com
Easy access any time via ST app on 1 mobile device
E-paper with 2-week archive so you won't miss out on content that matters to you
