No.1 Barty braces for Melbourne after perfect prep

MELBOURNE, Australia - World No.1 Ashleigh Barty is not concerned about her 48-hour turnaround after winning the Adelaide International on Saturday. Barty is set to take the main stage on Rod Laver Arena on Monday night to kick off her 2020 Australian Open campaign against Lesia Tsurenko.

"Obviously [winning Adelaide is] the perfect preparation," Barty told reporters on Sunday. "But regardless of whether I won the title or not last week, I feel like I'm well-prepared.

"I'm happy, I'm healthy. I'm coming into the first Grand Slam of the year with a smile on my face. That's all I can ask of myself.

"Really special to be able to have won a title last week. My first on Australian soil."

Barty showed no signs of being fatigued or physically compromised as she addressed the press late Sunday afternoon. Her run to the Adelaide title not only helped fine-tune her tennis, but staying away from Melbourne in the lead-up to her home Slam may also prove to be beneficial. The 23-year-old Queenslander has not had to stew in the maelstrom of hype that can be overwhelming for home players ahead of a Slam.

"Yeah, my face is everywhere a little bit, isn't it? I'm a bit sick of it to be honest," Barty said, laughing.

"I think the week before the Australian Open the last two or three years has been a happy hunting ground for me. I'm trying to make the most of an opportunity to play in Australia. I love playing in Australia. I love playing in front of the Australian public.

"For me, it wouldn't really make sense not to make the most of that. I have a month in Australia. I want to do the best that I can in that period.

"There's no extra pressure. I don't read the papers. I don't look into any more than I need to. I'm here with my team trying to do the best that we can.

"It's amazing to have so much support and so much love from the Australian public. I've really felt that in an exceptional way over the last 12 months. It's been incredible. Just pretty excited to get started tomorrow night.

Barty's title run in Adelaide ensured her No.1 ranking would not be in play in Melbourne. As she looks to become the first Australian woman to win the Australian Open since 1978, Barty said she is not going out of her way to shut out the noise.

"I think it's important to enjoy it," Barty said. "It's important to embrace it, enjoy everything that comes along with it. You don't get to play an Australian Open every single week. You don't get to play a Grand Slam every single week.

"But for me, it's easy to normalize it because of the people I've got around me. It's pretty simple in the fact that I've got, I mean, in my biased opinion, the best team on the tour. They look after me very well.

"I won't be out here forever playing these Grand Slams every few months of the year. I'm looking forward to getting out there."