3 minute read

World No.1 Ash Barty says she's uncertain of her plans beyond her title defence at the Adelaide International this week.

Ash Barty is uncertain when her next tournament will be after she defends her Adelaide International title this week.

But the Australian says she won't travelling the world chasing points just to retain her world No.1 ranking.

"As for defending points, I think it's a very negative way of looking at it," Barty told reporters on Monday.

"We plan as best that we can but obviously in the current situation nothing is certain, it's difficult.

"We just go with the advice that we have been given, we trust that the situation that we're going into is the right situation, it's safe and all of the right protocols have been put in place.

"So for the time being, we focus on this week ... and we move onto the schedule a little bit later on.

"I would love to be back on tour full time and all those decisions will come as close as we can to the event but ... it's hard for me to comment right now."

Barty accepted a wildcard into the Adelaide International after her shock three-set loss to Czech Karolina Muchova in an Australian Open quarter-final.

"All the work you do in between (tournaments) week-in, week-out is what I have missed the most," she said.

"Hopefully we get to do that this year and we get to do it soon.

"Kind of start again, which is a massive reason why I wanted to play here in Adelaide this week, to continue that momentum that we have built in the last month here in Australia."

Barty's loss at the Open was the end of her tournament in more ways that one - she didn't bother watching Naomi Osaka down her good friend Jennifer Brady to capture the crown at Melbourne Park.

"I'm not a massive tennis watcher at the best of times and certainly haven't turned on the telly for the last few days," Barty said.

"Obviously I have seen the result but I didn't watch it so it's hard for me to know what happened."

Barty withdrew from the doubles draw at the Open and played singles with strapping around a thigh, but declared herself fully fit entering Adelaide.

"The body is great ... every time I walk out onto the court I am fit," she said.

"I'm here to play and I have absolutely no concerns with that whatsoever ... I was pain-free during matches and just having that little bit of (strapping) assistance allowed me to be pain-free."