"Iga is an incredible talent, an exceptional human and a lovely girl" - Ashleigh Barty on the heir to her No. 1 throne, Iga Swiatek

Ashleigh Barty is currently enjoying her retirement and shared good words about the heir to her No. 1 throne, Iga Swiatek.

Barty bid farewell to tennis just nearly two months after winning her third Grand Slam title at the 2022 Australian Open in a move that shocked many. At only 25-years-old, the Australian was at the top of her game when she made the decision.

In an exclusive interview with the Guardian, Barty, who turned 26 last April and is spending time on the grass but in another sport – golf, lauded Swiatek, who moved to the vacated spot of Barty in the rankings.

“Iga is an incredible talent, an exceptional human and a lovely girl. I love her and her team, and I couldn’t be more proud that she took over the No 1 position, because she plays the sport in the right way and has so much energy and charisma," said Ashleigh Barty.

Swiatek officially took over the WTA pole position on April 4 midway through her impeccable unbeaten streak that ended at 37 in the third round of Wimbledon and garnered her six straight titles. The Pole is firmly perched atop the rankings as she leads World No. 2 Anett Kontaveit by almost 4000 points at 8336 points.

Barty, however, dismissed the notion that the women's tour is weak, saying that the women's tour has great depth and the "unpredictability" means that "the tour is so strong,"

"But the depth in women’s tennis at the moment is great too. We’ve come from having one or two players dominating to there being more unpredictability. And that’s not because the tour is weak. In fact, it’s because the tour is so strong. Everyone in that top 40 to 50 bracket is so exceptionally good that week to week they could all be top‑10 players," said Ashleigh Barty.

Sharing a friendly bet between herself and former England cricket captain Kevin Pietersen, who insisted she would eventually return to tennis, Barty snuffed out hopes and said that she had no regrets about her retirement and it was what she wanted.

“I’ve no regrets about retiring. Not one. I knew it was the right time for me. It was what I wanted to do. And I know that a lot of people may still not understand it. But I hope they respect that in the sense that it was my decision. And yeah, it’s been incredible. It’s been everything that I’ve ever wanted," said Ashleigh Barty.

Ashleigh Barty's four books in children's series hit shelves

Ashleigh Barty playing golf in the Icon Series in New Jersey early this month

Ashleigh Barty's variety is a delight to watch on the court, but off it, she is trying different things as well. Barty recently released the first four books in her illustrated children's book series, 'Little Ash.'

"I loved books growing up and watching the joy my niece now gets from reading inspired this series. It's been so fun adding elements of my childhood to these stories, in a way that I hope will make children smile. I want these books to help kids learn to be comfortable with themselves and get the confidence to try new things," Barty posted on Instagram.

A memoir, My Dream Time: A Memoir of Tennis and Teamwork, is also in the works.