Ash Barty hinted she could one day return to tennis, just days after retiring from the sport for a second time

• Ash Barty, the top-ranked women's tennis player in the world, retired on Wednesday.
• Just a day later, however, she hinted she could return to the sport in the future.

Just a day after retiring from tennis for the second time in her career, women's world No. 1 Ashleigh Barty has already hinted she may one day return to the court.

Barty, 25, announced she was retiring in an Instagram video on Wednesday, saying that she had "given absolutely everything."

"I'm fulfilled, I'm happy, and I know how much work it takes to bring the best out of yourself," she told player-turned-commentator Casey Dellacqua in the video.

"And I've said it to my team multiple times — I just don't have that in me anymore."

Speaking at a press conference in Brisbane Thursday, however, the Australian refused to rule out a return to professional tennis in the future.

"I'd say you never say never," she said. "I'd say the door is closed, but it's not padlocked.

"I'm never one to absolutely say never, never, never. But, yeah, it feels like it's closed.

"I feel like I've given absolutely everything to the sport, and there is nothing more for me to give. But I know that tennis will always be a massive part of my life, and I'll be able to contribute in different ways, which is maybe why that connection with tennis will always be there."

Barty, a three-time Grand Slam winner who has been ranked No. 1 in the world for 112 consecutive weeks, has retired and unretired before.

After losing in the opening round of the 2014 US Open, Barty, then just 18 years old, announced she was taking "a break from professional tennis" and instead began pursuing a career in cricket.

"It was too much too quickly for me as I've been travelling from quite a young age," she said at the time. "I wanted to experience life as a normal teenaged girl and have some normal experiences."

After just one season playing cricket, however, Barty was convinced to return to tennis by none other than Serena Williams.

"Ash was in a restaurant I think, and Serena sent her a message saying, 'You are too good a player to retire. You have to come back,'" Barty's former coach Jim Joyce revealed in January.