World number one Ash Barty has announced her retirement from tennis.

The 25-year-old reigning number one announced the news on social media on Wednesday.

“Today is difficult and filled with emotion for me as I announce my retirement from tennis,” she said.

“I am so thankful for everything this sport has given me and leave feeling proud and fulfilled.

“Thank you to everyone who has supported me along the way, I’ll always be grateful for the lifelong memories that we created together.

“I will be retiring from tennis. It’s the first time I’ve said it out loud and it’s hard to say but I’m so happy and so ready,” she said.

“I just know at the moment in my heart for me as a person this is right.

“I’ve done this before but it’s a very different feeling.

“I’m so grateful for everything tennis has given me.

“It’s given me all of my dreams plus more but I know that the time is right now for me to step away and chase other dreams and to put the racquets down.”

It’s the second time Ms Barty has retired. The first time was due to homesickness around eight years ago, during which she played WBBL cricket for Brisbane Heat.

This time Barty says she’s quitting for good and rumour has it she might swap her racquet for a club. 

According to The New Daily, Ms Barty is a hot hand at golf and won an A-grade club championship two years ago at Brisbane’s Brookwater Golf Club.

Her fiance is PGA trainee pro Gary Kissick and her parents were once state amateur golf representatives.

Ms Barty has held the top ranking for 116 weeks, and leaves tennis with the eighth-longest tenure in history behind only all-time greats Steffi Graf, Martina Navratilova, Serena Williams, Chris Evert, Martina Hingis, Monica Seles and Justine Henin.

Are you surprised by this announcement? Would you have retired at 25 if you'd made enough money?