Ashleigh Barty may skip upcoming tournaments to return home after a long year.Credit:Getty Images
Aside from a possible withdrawal from Indian Wells – starting on October 6 and usually held in March – 25-year-old Barty is also in extreme doubt for the WTA’s season-ending event in November,to be held in Mexico,a location which did not please her trusted coach Craig Tyzzer.
Barty two years ago famously pocketed the richest cheque in women’s tennis history – $US4.42 million – for winning the WTA Finals in Shenzhen,China,as part of a stunning 2019 season in which the Queenslander raced to the world’s No.1 ranking.
But with WTA events in China currently off the table due to the COVID-19 pandemic,the WTA Finals – reserved for the top eight women’s players – will be held in Guadalajara,Mexico,before a planned return to Shenzhen in 2022 and beyond.
The finals will finish on November 15 and Barty faces a two-week quarantine stint in Australia before reuniting with family and friends. That timing combined with the unexpected location and the altitude – Guadalajara,the second largest Mexican city,sits at 1566 metres – means the Queenslander faces a tough call about when she embarks on a homeward journey.
Ashleigh Barty celebrates after her win at Wimbledon in July.Credit:Getty Images
Barty has been off the court since exiting the US Open in the third round two weeks ago. That came after her Tokyo Olympics gold medal singles pursuit ended at the first step before she won a mixed doubles bronze with John Peers. Barty is resting up in the United Kingdom.
“She’s having a bit of a break. We’ll make a decision in the next week or so,” Tyzzer said. “She’s pretty tired and pretty fatigued.”