Ashleigh Barty hopes to find the ‘silver lining’ after a disappointing exit from French Open 2021

Ashleigh Barty
Ashleigh Barty, top seed at French Open 2021 suffered a huge setback as she was forced to retire from her second round match against Madga Linette on Thursday. The Australian was dealing with hip issues prior to the tournament, and there were always high chances of a mid-tournament withdrawal.
Ashleigh Barty was convincingly beaten in the first set by Linette, and took a medical timeout. She played well in the first four games of the second set, but failed to carry on with her persistent hip struggles. With Barty’s withdrawal, the top two seeds of French Open 2021 are no longer a part of the draw. Naomi Osaka had withdrawn earlier this week, citing mental health issues. This leaves Aryna Sabalenka as the highest seed remaining in the draw.
Ashleigh Barty disappointed after a forced retirement

French Open 2019 champion, Ashleigh Barty was disappointed after a forced retirement from the second round in Paris. “It’s a tough one. For something acute to happen over the weekend, we did absolutely everything we could to give myself a chance. It was a miracle that I could get on the court for the first round, and again today it was no better,” said Barty.
However, Ashleigh Barty took respite in the fact that she has had an incredible two months on tour, where she claimed the Miami and Porsche Open titles. She hopes to take the positives from her withdrawal at French Open, and find her silver lining.
“We have had an exceptional three months, and a little bit of setback. What happened today and this week in Paris, won’t take anything away from that. I have had my fair share of tears this week, but everything happens for a reason, and there will be a silver lining in this eventually,” added the Australian.
Also Read: BREAKING: Ashleigh Barty retires mid-match ending her French Open 2021 campaign