Winner of the Australian Open, Ashleigh Barty has not played since her triumph in Melbourne and will not play the big tournaments in Indian Wells and Miami either in March.
Next Wednesday, the Indian Wells tournament will start without world number 1 Ashleigh Barty. The Australian, soon to be 26, has only played two tournaments this season, in Adelaide and the Australian Open, and she has won them both, but she does not consider herself form to line up in Indian Wells or Miami from March 22, two WTA 1000 ranked tournaments, which between them bring as many points as a Grand Slam title.
« Unfortunately, my body didn’t recover the way I expected after the Australian Open and I wasn’t able to adequately prepare for Indian Wells and Miami. I don’t think I’m at the level necessary to win these tournaments and that’s why I decided to forfeit. I like these tournaments and I’m sad not to participate in them, but recovering well must be one of my goals. “His package at Indian Wells benefits the Frenchwoman Océane Dodin, who enters directly into the table.
Barty on AC since the start of the pandemic
Since the start of the coronavirus pandemic two years ago, Ashleigh Barty has played little but has managed to retain her place as world No. 1, thanks in particular to seven tournament victories (including two Grand Slams). The Aussie hasn’t played in any tournaments in 2020 after the circuit was paused from March to August. In 2021, she played twelve between February and September, before deciding to return to her country (where she could not go during the season due to the two weeks of mandatory quarantine) just after the US Open in order to prepare for the Australian Open as well as possible. A strategy that has paid off.
Last year, Barty won the Miami tournament and did not play Indian Wells, which took place in October. She will therefore lose 1,000 points in the standings, but her lead is still substantial over world No. 2, Barbora Krejcikova, who is currently 2,907 points behind the Australian. Barty, who also sent a message of support for war-affected Ukrainians and Australians affected by severe flooding, hopes to return in April for the Billie Jean King Cup against Slovakia.
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