The current world number one in Ash Barty may not have taken the court since late February, but the Australian fan favourite has relished the time off the court and is driving toward a huge Aussie summer at the Australian Open and its surrounding tournaments. Fortunate to remain top dog despite not competing for much of 2020, Barty's consistent past two seasons have seen her remain a huge threat on the WTA Tour, while her 15 wins and three losses at the beginning of the year prove just how much of an impact the 24-year-old can have in a short period of time.

STYLE: Counter puncher

STRENGTHS:

• Serve
• Forehand
• Consistency
• Low error rate

IMPROVEMENTS:

• Backhand
• Return game

A hugely consistent server, there is no doubt that that is a massive strength of the Australian's, while her excellent forehand also rates highly and wins an average of 30 per cent more points than her opposition as a puncher. Solid on the defence, Barty is able to take advantage of her opposition's unforced errors to strike gold and win points.

When it comes to Barty's weaknesses, realistically it's safe to say that there are not many of them - partially because of her unfinished season, but also due to her default number one status on Tour, which she maintained throughout the year. If we are being picky, one could argue that her return game could do with some improving, winning return points at an average of 44 per cent.

Overall, there is not much that Barty cannot do, but coming into a new year only time will tell whether the forced time away from the elite circuit will have had a positive or negative impact with a number of players stepping up throughout 2020.