A foxsports.com.au report on Saturday claimed that TA was planning to use Barty's popularity for their good, "potentially looking at an unprecedented TV rights deal worth up to AUD500 million over five years for the Aussie summer of tennis".
The 64-year-old Prague-born player, who won a total of 59 Grand Slam titles -- 18 singles, 31 doubles and 10 mixed doubles and won the US Open singles title four times
French Open champion Barbora Krejcikova will play her first-round match against San Jose finalist Daria Kasatkina of Russia
20-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal beat Malaysian qualifier Michael Mmoh in straight sets 6-1, 6-4, 6-2 to ease into the third round.
Ashleigh Barty would have been in the thick of her preparations to defend her French Open crown at this time of the year but it has been cancelled.
The last Australian woman to win a home title was Jarmila Wolfe in 2011 at Hobart. Barty called her victory "a great start to the year".
Barty decided to do more and will give her Brisbane winnings -- potentially USD 250,000 -- to the Red Cross.
Defending Australian Open champion Naomi Osaka, who is on the other side of the draw, has a first-round match against Maria Sakkari.
The American veteran said she still hoped to play at the Adelaide International later this month ahead of the Australian Open, the first Grand Slam of the year.
Barty became the first Australian to be named WTA world number 1 since Evonne Goolagong Cawley in 1976.
