Aussie tennis star Ash Barty bound for Adelaide to play in Day at the Drive exhibition

It’s about to be Barty time in Adelaide, with the Aussie superstar joining fellow world tennis greats for the Day at the Drive exhibition tournament.

World No.1 Ash Barty will play in Adelaide’s Day at the Drive exhibition tournament at the end of January at Memorial Drive.

A jubilant Premier Steven Marshall made the announcement after wishing himself and Mr Stevens a happy birthday following the Committee meeting on Thursday.

“The Barty party is coming to Adelaide,” he said.

“She a great competitor and the winner of the Adelaide International, she loved her time in Adelaide, she’s going to be back here taking on the very best in the world and we wish her all the best.”

Around 8000 people will attend the event in two sessions.

Barty will be joined by a raft of tennis superstars in Adelaide ahead of the Australian Open for the warm-up tournament at Memorial Drive on January 29.

Ashleigh Barty will be playing in Adelaide at the end of the month. Picture: Mark Stewart

Some of the biggest names in tennis, including Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, sisters Serena and Venus Williams, Simona Halep, Dominic Thiem and Naomi Osaka jetted into Adelaide on two international flights last Thursday night.

The players and their support staff were whisked into quarantine at the new Majestic M Suites in North Adelaide. They have been given exemptions from quarantine to practise at Memorial Drive, subject to strict conditions.

Chief public health officer Professor Nicola Spurrier on Thursday noted there had been no problems with quarantined players allowed to train at Memorial Drive.

Barty has vowed to do Aussies proud as she prepares to take to the court for the first time in more than a year.

And the world No.1 has called for some perspective amid growing unrest among tennis stars stuck in Melbourne’s strict quarantine.

“We are so lucky in Australia to have a home grand slam; the support of the Australian fans means the world to me and I always want to do well here,’’ Barty said.

“I understand this year will be different in many respects but I hope I can do the local fans proud.

“The circumstances around this year’s event are definitely challenging and I understand the frustration of all the players who have had to quarantine, but keeping Melburnians safe and making sure we put health first has to be the ­priority.”

Fellow star Djokovic has been wowing fans and making headlines from his hotel room in North Adelaide.

He was widely harangued after reportedly issuing a list of demands in a letter to Tennis Australia that included moving quarantined players into private homes with tennis courts and getting them better meals.

Djokovic then published an open letter to the Australian public on Twitter in which he tried to “clarify” demands he appeared to make to the organisers of the Australian Open.

In his tweet, Djokovic said his letter to Australian Open director Craig Tiley had been taken the wrong way.

“My good intentions for my fellow competitors in Melbourne have been misconstrued as being selfish, difficult and ungrateful,” said Djokovic.

Originally published as Aussie tennis star Ash Barty bound for Adelaide to play in Day at the Drive exhibition