Tomljanovic excited to get back to the basics in New York

After competing in Charleston, West Virginia and Kentucky, Ajla Tomljanovic is well adjusted to the sport's new climate. On Thursday, ahead of Cincinnati beginning in New York, she talked about the fan-less environment and how she's gotten back into the swing of things.

"I've already experienced it and honestly we've all been there when there were no fans when we just started out," Tomljanovic told Tennis Channel. "You kind of go back to basics in a way. You just play for the fun of the game. It's kind of the beauty in it as well. "

Last week, the Aussie competed at the Top Seed Open, one of the first WTA tournaments since the tour shutdown in March. She was dealt a difficult first-round match-up against world No. 33 Yulia Putintseva. Although, Tomljanovic defeated Putintseva earlier this year, she fell 6-0, 6-4, in her Lexington opener.

Tomljanovic may be accustomed to the empty stadiums, but now she's entering another entirely brand new dynamic in New York. She will be in the "bubble" for the next few weeks which requires some sacrifices, but overall it's not too out of the ordinary for the 27-year-old.

"I think the only different thing is that we see each other a lot, especially at breakfast," she said. "Basically the whole player's lounge is downstairs. We have food trucks around 7 every night, so we do see each other way more. But, at the same time, I'm not huge on going out and stuff when I'm in tournaments."

The Aussie is feeling extremely grateful to be competing again considering all of the challenges the world is facing. Limited food options won't be a problem for her in the bubble as long as there's an adequate amount of sweets.

"I'm actually so simple with food, even if I just have rice and chicken every night, it's not a big deal," she said. "As long as I have my sweets. That's where I'm picky."

The world No. 57 is also thrilled to reunite with friends Maria Sakkari and Donna Vekic.

"The last time we saw each other was at Indian Wells," Tomljanovic said. "I don't like the no hugging thing. I'm a hugger and when we didn't see each other for such a long time, that was hard. But, it's just been really nice to see them again."

The WTA Premier 5 will kick off on Saturday at its new home in Flushing Meadows.