Ashleigh Barty was coy about her future on Thursday, telling media “you’ll have to wait and see” as speculation mounts about what comes next after her shock retirement from tennis. The World No.1 and three-time Grand Slam champion stunned the tennis world on Wednesday by quitting aged just 25, saying she had fulfilled her dreams and was “spent physically”. It sparked an outpouring of praise for the down-to-earth Australian, led by Serena Williams. Barty spoke publicly for the first time on Thursday since her announcement but repeatedly deflected questions on her future plans.

‘Be patient, guys’

“You’ll have to wait and see, I’m not giving you everything right now. It’s alright, you can be patient. Patience is a virtue,” she told reporters in Brisbane. “We’ll see.”  Barty previously walked away from tennis to play in cricket’s Big Bash League, with local media speculating a return to the crease could be on the cards, or even becoming a professional golfer or playing Australian Rules.