Retiring tennis champion Ash Barty has revealed who she will miss facing on court as she steps away from professional tennis, in her only radio interview.

The 25-year-old announced her retirement yesterday, in what came as a shock to many.

In a one-on-one chat with Peter Psaltis on Wide World of Sports tonight, a reflective Barty spoke about her career highs and lows, including winning Wimbledon and the Australian Open, as well as the toll the professional circuit took on her.

She says she was unsure what the response would be to the bombshell announcement, but she feels like she’s been “spoilt rotten”.

Her family and team have been very supportive of her decision.

“That was kind of the overwhelming thing, they were so supportive, my whole team were but particularly my family, much to their disgust at times, I am going to be the little sister that’s home again bugging them every day asking who is buying the coffees … it’s going be exciting to reacquaint myself with my parents and my sisters.”

Asked about who she will miss facing on the court, she says there’s more than one!

“I will definitely miss testing myself against Petra [Kvitová] and Simona [Halep],” she said.

“They were two of my ultimate favourites, two of my best mates, and two people that were the very first to message me after the announcement came out and I think they are just brilliant people, and I am going to miss them.”

Psalty says Barty “has not changed” at all despite her incredible success.

Press PLAY below to hear the interview in full

Image: Peter Psaltis, Twitter