Ashleigh Barty, the No. 1 player on the Women's Tennis Association's (WTA's) world ranking table, will not attend the WTA Finals in Guadalajara, Mexico between November 10 and 17, the Wimbledon Championship winner announced on Saturday.

"I wanted to let everyone know that I won't be competing in any further tournaments in 2021, including the WTA Finals in Mexico," said Barty in a statement. "It was a difficult decision but I need to prioritize my body and my recovery from our 2021 season and focus on having the strongest pre-season for the Australian summer."

The 25-year-old Australian ace has not played since she was knocked out in the third round at the U.S. Open in September. Since she won the WTA Finals title in 2019 and the event was cancelled because of COVID-19 in 2020, Barty is the legitimate reigning champion of the event.

Australia has strict COVID-19 protocols and it remains to be seen what measures will be in place when the Australian Open takes place in January. When Barty returned home in September after months of competitions overseas, she spent two weeks in mandatory quarantine in a hotel.

"With ongoing challenges of traveling back to Queensland and quarantine requirements, I am not willing to compromise my preparation for January. I wish the WTA team and the players all the best for a successful WTA Finals and the rest of the year," said Barty.

Barty's best record in the Australian Open was reaching the semifinals in 2020 before losing to U.S. competitor Sofia Kenin. She was eliminated in the quarterfinals by Karolína Muchova of the Czech Republic in 2021. In July, she defeated Karolína Pliskova of the Czech Republic to win the Wimbledon Championship title, adding a second Grand Slam trophy to her name.