Barty, Serena lead field at Australian Open warm-ups

TIL Desk Sports/ Twenty-three-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams and Australian tennis player Ashleigh Barty will lead the field in the two WTA tournaments ahead of the Australian Open.

The Australian summer of tennis will kick off with two WTA 500 and two ATP 250 tournaments featuring the world’s best players. The Melbourne Summer Series at Melbourne Park will be played from January 31 to February 6, 2021.

Leading the women’s field is top-ranked Barty, who will make her first competitive appearance in 11 months, after opting not to travel due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Last summer, the 24-year-old won the inaugural Adelaide International title and became the first local woman to reach an Australian Open semi-final since Wendy Turnbull in 1984.