3 minute read

Australian tennis star Ashleigh Barty feels ready to deal with the unique challenges and pressures of the US Open, the final grand slam of the year in New York.

Ashleigh Barty plans to embrace and escape in equal doses the intensity and "chaos" of New York as she strives to complete a triumphant grand slam season with a second career major.

Barty, who has the honour of opening centre-court proceedings on day one against Kazakh Zarina Diyas, knows the US Open is like no other slam.

Dealing with the sport's most boisterous fans and blaring music on Arthur Ashe Stadium, a gruelling schedule, at times suffocating heat, the Manhattan traffic and even the waft of hot dogs are among the unique demands of the season's final major.

"It's chaotic. It really is," Barty said.

"You get that in Manhattan, where it's busy. Obviously it's the city that never sleeps but on site here it's chaos. It really is and I think you have to learn to enjoy it, sometimes laugh at it and other times it's also important to get away from it.

"Often I don't spend too much time here on site when I'm not playing. I'm more an in-and-out sort of person and do what I need to do and then get out pretty quickly."

It was after a second-round loss to Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova at Flushing Meadows in 2013 that Barty, feeling the strain of the tour grind, made the drastic but life-changing decision to take time out from tennis.

Six years on and Barty returned in 2019 as the reigning US Open doubles champion, the singles second seed and clearly far better equipped to seriously contend at the grand slam that never sleeps.

"Oh, there is no place in the world like New York. I have been here a few times now and I understand the city a little bit better. I know how it works," Barty said.

"You come here and you just take it in your stride. You enjoy it. There's no point fighting it.

"It's a beautiful city, a beautiful place that we get to come and play and compete. Love the conditions here in New York. It's definitely a spark in my calendar."

Australia's French Open champion and world No.2 has been presented with a golden opportunity to match her career-best run to the fourth round last year.

Barty, though, isn't looking beyond her opening match with the 77th-ranked Diyas, who she beat in two tight sets in their only previous encounter back in 2013.

"Every single person in the draw has as good of a chance as anyone else," Barty said.

"You know, you guys probably talk about the favourites more than I do. I just come here to play and do the best that I can, and that's all that bothers me.

"I'm focused on my first round on Monday and that's all I'm worried about for the moment."

Barty is among four Australians in first-day action, with 2011 champion Samantha Stosur, along with Daria Gavrilova and Alex de Minaur also opening their campaigns on Monday.

Nick Kyrgios, Jordan Thompson, John Millman, Alexei Popyrin, Thanasi Kokkinakis, Ajla Tomljanovic and Astra Sharma all start on Tuesday.

AUSTRALIANS IN ACTION ON DAY ONE OF THE US OPEN ON MONDAY (PREFIX DENOTES SEEDING):

Women's singles, first round

2-Ashleigh Barty v Zarina Diyas (KAZ)

Daria Gavrilova v Fiona Ferro (FRA)

Samantha Stosur v Ekaterina Alexandrova (RUS)

Men's singles, first round

Alex de Minaur v Pierre-Hugues Herbert (FRA)