World No.1 Ash Barty withdraws from French Open

World Number One Ash Barty and defending French Open Champion has announced that she is withdrawing from the French Open at Rolland Garros.

The Australian was one of the first seeds to withdraw from the U.S. Open at Flushing Meadows, and has cited the COVID-19 pandemic as the reasons behind her withdrawal from the European event.

The 24-year-old World Number One claimed her maiden grand slam victory at Roland Garros in 2019, but has been unable to train with her coach in Australia because of travel restrictions.

It has been a difficult decision to make but unfortunately I will not be competing in Europe this year. Last year’s French Open was the most special tournament of my career so this is not a decision I have made… https://t.co/Tyh2yKEHxV

— Ash Barty (@ashbarty) September 8, 2020

Five of the other top 10 seeds have since also dropped from the U.S. major, leaving only a handful of big names to fight for the title at Flushing Meadows.

View this post on Instagram

It has been a difficult decision to make but unfortunately I will not be competing in Europe this year. Last year’s French Open was the most special tournament of my career so this is not a decision I have made lightly. There are two reasons for my decision. The first is the health risks that still exist with Covid. The second is my preparation, which has not been ideal without my coach being able to train with me due to the state border closures in Australia. I wish the players and the French Federation all the best for a successful tournament. I now look forward to a long preseason and the summer in Australia. It has been a challenging year for everyone and although I am disappointed on a tennis front, the health and well-being of my family and my team will always be my priority. Thank you to my fans for your continued support, I can’t wait to play for you again.

A post shared by Ash Barty (@ashbarty) on Sep 7, 2020 at 5:14pm PDT

Barty released a statement on Instagram:

“It has been a difficult decision to make but unfortunately I will not be competing in Europe this year.

“Last year’s French Open was the most special tournament of my career so this is not a decision I have made lightly. There are two reasons for my decision. The first is the health risks that still exist with COVID.

“The second is my preparation, which has not been ideal without my coach being able to train with me due to the state border closures in Australia. I now look forward to a long pre-season and the summer in Australia.”

The French Tennis Federation announced that a limited number of spectators will have access to all three main courts, under strict social distancing guidelines. Players will be forced to stay in one of two designated hotels and will only be permitted at Roland Garros when they are scheduled for play. 

Australian Nick Kyrgios is expected to join Barty in missing the French Open, with the Australian men’s top seed stating that his chances of competing on the European clay circuit this year were “slim to none.”

Rafael Nadal is expected to be available at Rolland Garros along, with Novak Djokovic. The Serb will be eager for another shot at a major after being defaulted for striking an official at the U.S. Open.

The French Open is scheduled to start at Rolland Garros on September 27.

2020 French Open Odds

Women

Simona Halep – 7/2
Kiki Bertens – 10/1
Serena Williams – 9/1
Jennifer Brady – 11/1
Naomi Osaka – 6/1

Men

Rafael Nadal – 10/11
Novak Djokovic- 5/2
Dominic Thiem – 3/1
Stefanos Tsitsipas – 14/1
Alexander Zverev – 20/1

Odds Courtesy of Oddschecker.com