Staying fit and training with the same intensity as would normally be the case is “tricky” during the shutdown, World No1 Ashleigh Barty said. Barty is in her hometown Brisbane and like other tennis players, is waiting out the unique period where the sport has come to a halt due to the coronavirus pandemic.
“It’s kind of tricky to train with the same intensity as always,” the 24-year-old told the Sunday Herald Sun. “Obviously, we’re still not sure when we’ll go back.
“Now, it’s about maintaining for if and when we get an opportunity to play again this year, you can kinda flick that switch and go from there.”
Barty would have been in the thick of her preparations to defend her French Open crown at this time of the year. The clay court Grand Slam was to be held from May 24 to June 7 but it has since been postponed to September 20 to October 4, making it the last Grand Slam of the year.
“Just kind of sitting back, this is really bizarre,” she said. “You’re preparing for that (hardcourt) swing and then you’re on a plane back to Australia. “It’s different for everyone. For tennis players, there’s that uncertainty. We need for pretty much the whole world to be clear before we can start our tour again.