World No. 1 Australian tennis star Ashleigh Barty is the second from her country to achieve such a feat. Before her, Evonne Goolagong Cawley was the only Australian woman to have reached that level in women’s tennis.

Barty has had a great career till now, winning the French Open and also the season-ending WTA Finals. Her consistent performances have helped her keep up with the No. 1 rank but it has not come without sacrifices. Barty is set to take another big step in her career as she has decided to leave Australia during the Tour. It is mainly due to the country’s quarantine rules and it will only hinder her progress during the Tour as she will have to quarantine for 14 days every time she returns to Down Under and it will also make things difficult for her to reach the venues.

Speaking on this issue in a recent interview Barty said, “Yeah, Tyz and I are ultimately prepared to stay away for the rest of the season. Obviously, with the quarantine laws in Australia, we do our two weeks quarantine in a hotel, and there is actually not a lot of space in the season to be able to do that just to get home for the two weeks.”

Living away from her home during a global pandemic can be a huge challenge for the World No. 1 and therefore she has not yet decided where she wants to live during this period.

“So at this stage, we’re planning to be away until after the US Open and potentially right to the end of the season. Without a doubt, it was something that was new to me, new to try and wrap my head around and comprehend where we’re going to be away for such an extended period.” added the 2019 French Open winner.

Barty started 2021 in great fashion as she triumphed at the Yarra Valley Classic tournament. While a lot of people thought that she has a chance of winning the following Australian Open, the 24-year old only managed to reach the quarterfinals after being knocked out by Karolina Muchova. She currently in Miami featuring in the Miami Open and has progressed through to the Round of 16.