Ash Barty will not travel to Paris to defend her French Open title. Barty, the world No. 1 from Australia, was a surprise winner at Roland Garros in 2019 where she won a first Grand Slam title by beating Marketa Vondrousova.
She opted against travelling to the US Open due to ‘significant risks’ posed by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic – a factor in her decision to swerve the French Open.
But she further spelled out issues with her preparations, which have been disrupted by being unable to train with her coach Craig Tyzzer due to state border closures in Australia. ‘It has been a difficult decision to make but unfortunately, I will not be competing in Europe this year,’ said Barty in a statement. (Metro)