Shock withdrawal casts doubt remainder of Ash Barty’s season

Ash Barty has enjoyed a sensational year on the tennis tour but a surprising decision has cast doubt on her immediate future.

Ash Barty has pulled out of the WTA 1000 tournament at Indian Wells, sparking speculation her season may be over.

On Tuesday (AEST), tournament organisers announced the world no. 1’s withdrawal from one of the most prestigious events on the tennis calendar outside the four grand slams.

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Officials gave no reason for Barty’s decision to pull out of next month’s women’s draw which was already suffering from the absence of several top-ranked players, including Naomi Osaka and Serena Williams.

The Australian hasn’t played since her disappointing loss to American Shelby Rogers in the third round of the US Open earlier this month.

When asked after that match if she planned to play at Indian Wells, Barty responded: “Yeah, yeah, I’ll be there.”

The 25-year-old has been on the road competing in Europe and the US since March and has previously said she is missing being at home in Queensland and spending time with her family.

Ash Barty has enjoyed a career-best season. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)

Barty has won five tournaments across an outstanding season, which saw her claim her second grand slam title at Wimbledon, to add to her 2019 French Open crown.

Her decision to withdraw from Indian Wells casts serious doubt over whether Barty will play again this year, including at the season-ending WTA tour finals, which she won in 2019.

Just a week ago, Barty had seemed eager to contest the Tour Finals when she was announced as one of three players to have already qualified for the tournament.

“Lifting the Billie Jean King Trophy in Shenzhen in 2019 is one of the best moments of my career,” she said.

“It’s a great honour to be among the top eight players in the world and be the first to qualify for the 2021 WTA Finals.”

But earlier this month, her coach Craig Tyzzer said it was entirely possible Barty might not defend her WTA Finals title in November because the event had been moved from Shenzhen, China to Mexico.

Tyzzer said the unusual conditions in the high-altitude location of Guadalajara could prompt Barty to skip the event.

Has Barty played her last tournament of the year? Photo: Elsa/Getty Images/AFP

“We only just found out it’s in Mexico at 1500 metres (above sea level) and they’re using pressure-less balls,” he told AAP.

“Pressure-less balls absolutely fly. It’s a ball that if you use it in normal conditions, it doesn’t bounce.

“In conditions they’ve never played, in a country they don’t play and at altitude, I just feel it’s ridiculous.

“As a spectacle, it’s just frightening.

“But it certainly isn’t easy for us to get there and to play that event in Mexico and then to come back and have to do two weeks (in quarantine) and then your summer is sort of ruined as well.”

Tyzzer also revealed Barty was drained from spending more than half the year on tour and was desperate to return to Australia and see her family sooner rather than later.

“She needs to get home, she’s a super homebody,” he said.

“She just needs a rest. She was physically and mentally exhausted. So I told her to just get away and have a holiday and just refresh everything.

Originally published as Shock withdrawal casts doubt remainder of Ash Barty’s season