When three-time Grand Slam winner Barty last month stunned the tennis world by announcing her retirement at age 25, she said she was excited by the prospect of chasing her dreams, but would not reveal what they were.While speculation runs rampant about her turning to professional golf – and you can read her view on that below – it can be revealed the first item to be crossed off Barty’s bucket list is a long-held ambition to release a series of children’s books. The six-book Little Ash series, written and illustrated with First Nations creatives Jasmin McGaughey and Jade Goodwin and published by HarperCollins, will begin to hit shelves in July.The stories may be officially classed as fiction but many are based on the real-life experiences of Barty and her family.A second book project with the same publisher – a memoir of Barty’s incredible life and sporting story – will be released later this year.Barty is so embedded in the children’s book concept she plans to read the books to youngsters in rural communities.She wants to remind a generation of readers of similar age to her five-year-old niece Lucy of the joys and benefits of book-reading. Barty did much of it herself as a child, devouring the works of authors such as Morris Gleitzman.“This project has been so much fun and something I have always wanted to do,’’ Barty told News Corp.“Lucy was my North Star. She is the perfect age to understand stories and storylines and read chapter books. “I just love the fact she tells me what she thinks and what she feels and how she feels when she is reading a book. Being able to read it to her will be great and to go up to readings to kids in rural areas is something I want to be really hands on with.’’The series’ real-life themes include the story Lost Luck, in which Little Ash gets out of the wrong side of bed on the morning of a major tennis match and everything seems “a bit hard’’ (“that one was me’’).Barty is also working on her life story with respected journalists Leo Schlink and Konrad Marshall.“At 25 it’s not super-regular that something like this happens, but it is a very exciting project. Looking back and talking about it has brought me so much joy and heartache and pain, but I think it will be a very good read.“It’s a tennis story, a family story, a teamwork story of how I got to where and who I am today. During 2020, which was obviously a disrupted year for us, it gave me an opportunity to sit down and think about the incredible year we had in 2018.“I sat down with Leo and we put a lot of work and hours into trying to remember things while they were still fresh in my mind.“Konrad and Leo do an incredible job and I trust them and it’s a really exciting project.’’Acquiring a fresh perspective on her incredible career is a new journey for Barty.Just last week, far from the gaze of the sporting world she rocked then shocked, the star nostalgically revisited the spot where she first hit a tennis ball.Accompanied by her sisters, Ali and Sara, and without a camera in sight, Barty joined her nieces, Lucy and Olivia and nephew Oscar, at the West Brisbane Tennis Centre on the very court she learned to play on 20 years ago.It’s the little field of dreams enshrined in tennis history as the court where a six-year-old Barty was photographed accepting her first tennis trophy, in a shot that became a social media sensation. And, just to give the reunion another rich layer of sentiment, her first coach Jim Joyce joined in.An emotional day? Absolutely.Maybe enough to make her rue the decision to call time on her career at the peak of her power?No.In fact contentment rather than comeback is the only C-word that drops from her lips a fortnight into the retirement that shocked the world.“I am just so happy – I didn’t need any reassurance but I have still felt that reassurance that I made the right decision,’’ she said.“I have spent so much time with my beautiful family and my nieces and nephew and you could not wipe the smile off my face the last few weeks. It’s been awesome.’’Her brief stint away from the game has been soothing for Barty and has given her time to perfect her ball toss – not for her serve but for her three pet dogs.“The first thing in the morning I roll over and the dogs are at me to go for a walk and we do that to start the day. And then we throw the ball to them in the back yard at the end of the day. It’s a good life. It is the simple things I love.’’Barty has promised first coach Joyce there will be another day of celebration on that famous court where she grew up, to share a drink and reflect on their collective journey.“I think we will pull up an Esky. Champagne might be too fancy for Jim and I but we will crack a beer and have a laugh. It will probably start as just the two of us and then it will expand to my family and his brother and the kids. It will be epic.“But it was nice to get back there again. My sisters had not been there for 10 or 12 years. I stood in the spot where I hit my first ball. It was just a lovely place to reminisce.’’ASH TAKES A SWING AT GOLF SPECULATIONAsh Barty is flattered by suggestions a professional golf career could await her but a Saturday morning “scramble’’ with family and friends is currently more her cup of tea.Barty created a ripple of headlines around the sporting world last weekend when she won a ladies event against a small field at the Brookwater Golf Club, where she was the 2020 club champion.Barty, who has retired from tennis at age 25 despite being the world’s No 1 player, famously played a season of the Big Bash cricket with the Brisbane Heat during a break from the tour and her wide skill set has prompted speculation she could switch to another sport.Golf officials have pledged publicly and privately to help her in any way should she want to pursue a career path in their sport, to which she has strong connections through her parents and fiance Garry Kissick, a trainee professional golfer.“I am very lucky so many people are interested and invested but for the moment I am happy scrambling around on a Saturday,’’ Barty said.“That’s more my cup of tea. It was the second round I had played in six months. I just went down and played with my two girlfriends and my mum on a Saturday morning and then we saw it all over the news.“I had a good laugh about it. It’s alright. It’s all good. We try and play every week if we can. Normally its one in all in or one out all out. A very cruisy four-ball.’’Barty is comfortable with her decision to retire from tennis in her prime.“I received an amazing outpouring of love and it was great to hear from my mates from all corners of the globe. It feels like the dust has settled. I haven’t been doing a lot. Early to bed. Early to rise. The Queensland way.’
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