Ashleigh Barty insists that she is ready for the grass court season after winning her first grand slam at Roland Garros.
The grass court swing is Barty’s favourite time of year but it was the red clay of Paris that she won her first grand slam singles title.
After an incredible two weeks ending with a win over Marketa Vondrousova, the Australian celebrated with family but nothing too extravagant.
Now the world number two insists that it’s now back to work and is ready to thrive on her favourite surface, “It’s important – just making sure that I get to a place now where we arrive at the next tournament fresh and ready to go,” Barty said to the Sydney Morning Herald.
“We didn’t want there to be a ‘hangover’, as such, where I’m not prepared and I’m not ready for the next tournament. We’ve had an incredible fortnight of tennis but now we get to switch focus to the grass court season.”
Although most people know that the Australian isn’t one to get over-excited about anything, the main concern was how she was holding up physically after her two weeks at Roland Garros.
However Barty has insisted that is not an issue heading into Wimbledon as she chases the world number one ranking, “[Paris] was the first time that I’d really tested [my stamina] in a singles perspective and been there right until the last day of a Slam,” Barty told the Herald.
“It’s really exciting that we’re able to get through that relatively unscathed. It’s just about getting my feet on the grass courts and getting used to it.
“The bonus is I’ve been playing a lot of tennis and hitting a lot of balls. I’ve got the match toughness and the match fitness.”
This confidence is something Barty looks to take into the grass court season as her first tournament on the surface is in Birmingham next week.
The 23 year-old joins a strong field into the Nature Valley Classic next week which includes former world number one Naomi Osaka, Elina Svitolina and Britain’s Johanna Konta.