The "French Open" champion refuses to defend her title for fear of Corona
Australian Ashley Barty, ranked first in the world, decided not to defend the French Open tennis championship, scheduled for its new date between September 21 and October 11, due to fears of infection with the new Corona virus, which also prompted her to withdraw from the Flushing Meadows Championship.
The Australian, who last year won her first Grand Slam title at Roland Garros, said that the decision she made not to participate in the 2020 edition was "difficult", but the health of her family and her team is the most important.
"The French Open last year was the most beautiful tournament of my career, and therefore I did not take this decision (not to participate) lightly," Barty said on her social media pages.
There are two reasons behind my decision: The first is the health risks that still exist in the presence of Covid.
The second is my preparations, which were not perfect in light of the inability of my coach to be with me due to the closure of state borders in Australia.
Party resides in Brisbane, while her coach Greg Taiser is based in Melbourne and cannot travel as the city is trying to cope with a second wave of Covid-19 infections.
In July, Barty decided to withdraw from the Flushing Meadows Championship, which is currently held in New York behind closed doors, similar to Roman Simona Halep II or Spain's Rafael Nadal, the men's title holder, who chose not to participate due to the same concerns.
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