World No. 1 Ashleigh Barty is done playing tennis for the year, announcing that she won’t be competing in any tournaments for the remainder of the 2021 season.
“I wanted to let everyone know that I won’t be competing in any further tournaments in 2021, including the WTA Finals in Mexico,” Barty said in a statement on Saturday, adding that she needed to prioritize her body and recovery.
The 26-year-old won the 2019 WTA Finals in Shenzhen, China, in 2019, with 2020’s tournament canceled due to COVID-19. Barty will not return this year to defend her title. Instead, the World No. 1 is looking forward to January’s Australian Open.
“With ongoing challenges of traveling back to Queensland and quarantine requirements, I am not willing to compromise my preparation for January,” said Barty of her home tournament.
Barty has not taken the court since the US Open in September and is ending 2021 with five titles, including a Wimbledon championship from July.
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