World number one Ash Barty felt the physical toll after her weekend loss to Aryna Sabalenka in the Madrid Open final. Still, she considers this tiredness a 'good problem,' as it's a natural byproduct of consistently reaching the late stages of tournaments. Her recent streak since leaving Australia in March has been impressive, including a victory at the Miami Open, a quarterfinal run in Charleston, a win against Sabalenka in Stuttgart, and a spot in the Madrid final.
While gearing up for the French Open later this month, Barty also added a doubles title in Stuttgart alongside American Jennifer Brady. Following her defeat to Sabalenka in Madrid on Saturday, Barty remarked that feeling exhausted is actually a sign that she is performing well.
Speaking with the press, she explained that fatigue is a welcome issue. In her view, when an athlete plays a heavy volume of matches, it proves they are consistently competing at a high level, which naturally leads to some physical wear and tear.
Barty expressed great pride in her recent achievements, describing the past month as an unprecedented period of success. She sees this momentum as a fantastic foundation and is aiming for even greater milestones. With almost no time to recover, she headed straight to Rome for another WTA 1000 event before shifting her full attention to Roland Garros—the site of her 2019 Grand Slam victory, which she missed defending last year due to the pandemic.
Reflecting on her performance, Barty emphasized that she always feels proud of her efforts once a tournament concludes. To her, leaving the court with a smile is the ultimate mark of success. She is now looking forward to giving it her all in Rome before hitting the reset button to prepare for the French Open.