Three-time tennis major champion Ashleigh Barty will escalate her golf interests after signing for an exhibition tournament alongside the likes of Harry Kane, Pep Guardiola and Michael Phelps. The event at Liberty National Golf Club in New Jersey on June 30 and July 1 will pit teams representing the USA and the rest of the world against each other in a 10-hole team match-play format."I'm excited to be part of the Icons Series and I hope through my participation in the series that we can encourage more women and girls to participate in golf around the world. It's such a unique opportunity to have fun, test yourself and compete against the world's greatest athletes in a sport that we are all so passionate about," Barty was quoted as saying by Sydney Morning Herald.
Joining Barty in the rest of the world team will be England football captain Harry Kane and Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola, while the USA line-up features boxing great Oscar De La Hoya and swimming superstar Michael Phelps.Almost one month after announcing her tennis retirement at 25, it's been confirmed Barty will be one of the headline names involved in the Icons Series. There, she'll feature on a Rest-of-the-World team captained by golf great Ernie Els as they look to upset the United States on their own soil.Barty confirmed her departure from tennis in late March after saying she no longer had "the physical drive, the emotional want and everything it takes to challenge yourself at the very top of the level anymore."She won the French Open (2019), Wimbledon (2021) and her native Australian Open (2022) before becoming just the second player to retire as the reigning world No. 1.