Ash Barty spotted with no mask in Victorian supermarket after tennis quarantine reality check

Aussie World No. 1 Ash Barty has been spotted shopping without a mask in Victoria after clipping whinging tennis stars in quarantine.

Ash Barty has been spotted in a Melbourne supermarket without a mask, calling it “an innocent mistake” as the World No. 1 prepared to return to the court.

The news was broken by Sky News Australia with the 24-year-old’s manager saying she “promises to better comply with COVID rules into the future”.

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Fox Sports’ News’ Sarah Olle revealed that Barty ran into Sky News reporter Andrea Crothers at the Coles supermarket in Prahran.

#BREAKING .@ashbarty has apologised for not wearing a mask at a Melb supermarket & says it was an “innocent mistake”... it comes after she called on her intl tennis peers to put tough quarantine rules in perspective – declaring health should be the first priority. @SkyNewsAust

— Andrea Crothers (@abcrothers) January 21, 2021

Victoria COVID rules state masks must be worn in enclosed spaces, including supermarkets.

While the Aussie star deserves the benefit of the doubt that it was a mistake, it comes as Barty slammed tennis stars who have criticised the quarantine restrictions.

“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 in the Herald Sun.

“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.”

Ash Barty hasn’t played since the Qatar open last February.

Barty has also been the beneficiary of being Australian as she has been living in Melbourne for weeks and does not need to quarantine.

However, she will travel to Adelaide for the exhibition A Day at the Drive, where she will feature alongside Serena Williams, Naomi Osaka, Simona Halep, Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Dominic Thiem.

A year after her last official match, it will be a treat for South Australian fans.

But the Adelaide bubble has also been targeted by other players, who have criticised the looser regulations with no COVID cases on arrivals in South Australia.

Currently, more than 70 players are in a hard lockdown in Melbourne ahead of the Australian Open after multiple planes carrying players had positive COVID-19 cases on board.