Ash Barty celebrated a doubles win to start the season by donning a mask

A remarkable summer of tennis began at Melbourne Park on Sunday with two separate women’s tournaments.

World No 1 Ash Barty poses for a photograph with a fan after her doubles win

The sight of Ash Barty shaking hands in triumph at Melbourne Park at the end of January would normally signify an event of massive significance to Australian sporting fans.

But then she put on a mask and left the court, an indication that a most unusual summer of tennis is only just getting under way.

Novak Djokovic ended the 2020 Australian Open by dancing a celebratory jig at an official staff party not long after claiming an eighth title.

Pairing dancing and Djokovic in the same sentence is now a danger, given the controversy that followed his ill-fated Adria Tour during the early stages of the pandemic.

The world No 1, who caught the virus on that tour, was centre stage again on Sunday at Melbourne Park.

But instead of an Australian Open success, this time it was to discuss leading Serbia in the ATP Cup that starts on Tuesday.

It was among the 15 official press conferences that were scheduled for Sunday to launch Melbourne’s summer of tennis. And there was actually some tennis — 40 matches played in two separate women’s warm-up tournaments.

With capacity capped at 30,000 during the Australian Open, the hustle and bustle that is a feature of the tournament should not be a factor this year. And it was a soft opening on Sunday.

Barty’s first official outing since reaching the semi-finals of a WTA event in Dubai in February was in the women’s doubles in the Yarra Valley Classic and it was well received.

She partnered Jennifer Brady to a 7-6 (2) 6-1 triumph over Sharon Fichman and Guiliana Olmos.

The world No 1 said Melbourne Park felt far different to normal. But last year’s Australian Open semi-finalist expects the next three weeks to be a success and is excited by what lies ahead.

“I think certainly underneath, where we do all of our preparation and kind of all where the scorers are and where the players go, feels quite normal,” she said.

“But obviously with the lesser crowds, less people around the courts, just generally moving around the site is a little bit easier.

“It‘s a definite adjustment. I know that come deeper into the tournament, into the Australian Open, the crowds will be here to the capacity they’re allowed, without a doubt.

“So I think it‘s going to be a really nice vibe once people start rolling in.”

Barty is shaking off some ring rust, but as she did in effort against Simona Halep in an exhibition in Adelaide on Friday night, she looked sharp.

Brady, too, was delighted, which is scarcely surprising. The American was among the 72 players forced into strict lockdown over the past fortnight.

Just breathing fresh air again was a pleasure, let alone setting foot on court again.

“I think she enjoyed it, first and foremost. She struck a few balls yesterday,” Barty said.

“When we warmed up this morning, she was flushing them. I think for her it was nice to get out there.

“Obviously for us as a new doubles partnership, it was nice to keep things really simple today and just try to do the basics well.”

It is all about the numbers over the next three weeks at Melbourne Park.

Barty is the top seed in the Yarra Valley Classic, which is among the six separate tournaments being held on the Melbourne Park site, and will play Ana Bogdan on Tuesday.

Mindful of social distancing requirements, the facility stretching from Richmond Station to Birrarung Marr on the banks of the Yarra River has been divided into three different zones.

When fans attend the tennis this year, they will only be allowed to visit one of those zones per session.

The features that make the Australian Open a triumph among tournaments around the globe — the three roofed stadiums, the parkland and open bars — are all present.

But those attending will need to choose carefully to not only see the stars they follow, such as Barty and Djokovic, but also visit their preferred restaurants and watering holes.

And the situation that unfolded in Western Australia on Sunday, with Perth locked down for the next five days, is a reminder it is difficult to feel safe in a pandemic.

Even at the Social Distancing Open. After the storm surrounding quarantine, fingers remain crossed for the weeks ahead.