MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - NOVEMBER 27: 2017 John Newcombe medallist Ashleigh Barty poses at the 2017 Newcombe Medal at Crown Palladium on November 27, 2017 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Michael Dodge/Getty Images)

Ash Barty has shocked the tennis world by announcing her retirement just months after winning her Australian Open singles title.

Leaving behind a stellar career and reaching the pinnacle of the WTA tour with three grand slam wins, Barty will be remembered as one of Australia's best athletes.

In honour of her retirement, we have had a look back on some of Barty's best moments on tour, counting down from five to the magic number one.

BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND - JUNE 25: Ashleigh Barty of Australia in action during the final match against Petra Kvitova of Czech Republic on day seven of The Aegon Classic Birmingham at Edgbaston Priory Club on June 25, 2017 in Birmingham, England. (Photo by Nathan Stirk/Getty Images)

5. Hopman Cup win in 2013

At just 16, Barty achieved one of her best career wins at the Hopman Cup, defeating 2010 open champion Francesca Schiavone in straight sets. The match, which Barty won 6-0, 6-3 in just 55 minutes, was one of the first wins that brought her to the forefront of the Australian sport landscape.

Partnered with Bernard Tomic, the two young players gave Australia a shot at making the Hopman Cup final, a title win that, at that point in time, Australia hadn't won since 1999.

Barty herself was ecstatic, admitting that the win was better than her junior title at Wimbledon.

"I can't believe it myself, I don't remember anything about it," Barty said.

"This tops Wimbledon, this trumps everything. I'm just so happy with the way I played."

4. 2018 US Open Doubles win with Coco Vanderweghe

Barty has gained renown for her singles achievements, but often finds her prowess as a doubles player overlooked. When Barty returned to tour in 2016 she quickly had her singles breakthrough, but didn't win her first singles slam title until mid 2019.

In doubles however, Barty found a winning partner in American Coco Vangerweghe. The two defeated the top seeds in Barbora Krejčíková and Kateřina Siniaková, and saved two championship points during the final. Coming back to take the match to three sets, Barty and Vanderweghe saved a final match point in the tiebreak, winning a thrilling final in New York.

The victory at the US Open not only confirmed that Barty was back, and improved, but now means that the 25-year-old has won a title, singles or doubles, at all four slams, an impressive achievement.

NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 30: Ashleigh Barty of Australia returns a shot against Aliaksandra Sasnovich of Belarus during their second round Women's Singles match on Day Three of the 2017 US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on August 30, 2017 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

3. Wimbledon title 

At Wimbledon, arguably the most prestigious and coveted title on tour, Barty cemented herself as world number one after an extended break due to the Covid-19 pandemic. In a highly inconsistent WTA tour where upsets reign supreme, Barty affirmed that she was a worthy, and dependable, world number one.

Showing no sign of the injuries that ruled her out of the French Open and any subsequent follow up tournaments, Barty won matches against highly ranked opponents in Barbora Krejčíková and Angelique Kerber to become the first Australian woman to win the singles title at Wimbledon since Evonne Goolagong Cawley in 1980.

2. French Open win

It's hard to split these two. Rolland Garros was Barty's first grand slam win, and perhaps the most unexpected. Going into the tournament ranked number nine in the world after spending time in 2014 and 2015 taking time away from the sport, just making it to the latter stages of the tournament would have been enough.

Instead, Barty dug deep on the clay and lost just two sets during the tournament to claim her maiden grand slam title. Her win catapulted her up the rankings to world number two and began a 15 match winning streak, only ending when the Australian lost during the fourth round at Wimbledon.

PARIS, FRANCE - JUNE 08: Ashleigh Barty of Australia kisses the trophy as she celebrates victory following the ladies singles final against Marketa Vondrousova of The Czech Republic during Day fourteen of the 2019 French Open at Roland Garros on June 08, 2019 in Paris, France. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)

1. Australian Open singles win in front of a home crowd

There's no doubt that this will be one of Barty's own highlights from her very impressive career. With a nation's worth of expectations on her shoulders coming into the Australian summer, many expected that Barty would stumble under the pressure, but the world number one seemed unbeatable instead.

Throughout the tournament Barty looked to be in incredible form, including during the lead-up tournament in Adelaide, which she also won. At the Australian Open itself, Barty did not drop a set during the tournament, even more impressively, the 25-year-old lost just one service game on route to the final.

After an emotional trophy ceremony where Barty was presented with her silverware by Evonne Goolagong Cawley, Barty had secured herself as one of Australia's most prominent sporting icons, a title that won't change in her retirement.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - JANUARY 29: Ashleigh Barty of Australia poses with the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup after winning her Women's Singles Final match against Danielle Collins of United States during day 13 of the 2022 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 29, 2022 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Darrian Traynor/Getty Images)