Australia’s world No. 1 tennis star Ash Barty has promised she will “be better” after accidentally committing a COVID-19 faux pas while shopping in Melbourne.
She was in Coles shopping and forgot her mask after a pre-Australian Open training session at Melbourne Park.
She ran into a Sky News reporter, who recognised she was maskless and took to Twitter to share the incident.
“I accidentally forgot to wear a mask in a supermarket (on Thursday) in Melbourne,” Barty said.
“I apologised as soon as I realised my mistake.
“I understand we all need to do our bit to keep the community safe and I will be better next time.”
Barty has spent the last 10 months in Queensland where restrictions are much more relaxed than they are in Melbourne.
She’s making her first on-court appearance since last February alongside Serena Williams, Simona Halep, Naomi Osaka and men’s legends Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic next Friday.
She can’t wait to return to the court.
“We are so lucky in Australia to have a home grand slam; the support of the Australian fans means the world to me and I always want to do well here,’‘ Barty said.
“I understand this year will be different in many respects but I hope I can do the local fans proud.
“The circumstances around this year’s event are definitely challenging and I understand the frustration of all the players who have had to quarantine.
“But keeping Melburnians safe and making sure we put health first has to be the priority.”
This article originally appeared on Over60.