Revitalised after a blissful week in le Sud de la France, Ash Barty has declared herself fully fit as she chases a second grand slam crown in Paris.
Barty sent fans into a flutter when she withdrew mid-match from her Italian Open quarter-final two weeks ago with an arm injury.
But Australia’s world No.1 on Friday night insisted she was in peak condition for her French Open title ‘defence’ come Sunday.
Champion in 2019, Barty opted out of last year’s rescheduled November edition of the claycourt grand slam, enabling Polish teenager Iga Swiatek to seize her title.
But Barty hasn’t been beaten at Roland Garros since losing to Serena Williams three years ago and said her withdrawal in Rome was merely precautionary.
“Yeah, I’m feeling good,” Barty said.
“I’m feeling ready to play. I think it was an important decision for us to make, to make sure that we arrived at this tournament being 100 per cent physically.
“It is an injury with my arm we have had to manage over a number of years now. We know how to manage it, which is a good thing, being able to work through those first few days was really important.
“From late last week, there was not a lot of focus, not a lot of concern about it.
“Now we’re flying so certainly no issues from our end. We’re excited to be here back in Paris, excited to be fit and healthy and ready to go.”
Sharpening her game
Wanting to stay low key, Barty only arrived in Paris on Sunday, instead enjoying a week at the beautiful Beaulieu Lawn Club in the south of France with coach Craig Tyzzer honing her game and getting her body right.
Fully focused on regaining her crown, she said “it feels like a lifetime ago” since breaking through for her maiden grand slam title in Paris.
“Coming back to the site here at Roland Garros is obviously pretty special,” Barty said.
“Pretty cool to be able to walk onto Chatrier and have so many memories kind of come flooding back.
“A lot of it I also don’t remember and feels like it was such a long time ago.
“It feels like a completely new tournament, a completely fresh tournament, which in my opinion is great.
“We take on the memories and the experiences from 2019 but it’s a fresh tournament, a clean slate and we have to ready from that first ball and we’re excited for it.”
-AAP
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