Adelaide and Melbourne: No lead time for women
Already in the first week of the tournament of the new season, numerous top players will be in action on the WTA Tour.
by Nikolaus Fink
last edit:
Dec 26, 2021, 01:57 pm
There is still some time before the Australian Open opens in Melbourne on January 17th. But the entire tennis line is already in the final preparations for the Australian summer, some players have even arrived Down Under. For example Denis Shapovalov, who is in self-isolation after a COVID-19 infection .
While Shapovalov and Co. mostly want to get the final touches for the first Grand Slam event of the year at the ATP Cup, two regular tournament weeks are on the program for the women before the Australian Open. And the fields of participants in the first three events of the year (January 3rd to 9th) are tough.
Barty, Sabalenka & Co.
From the current perspective, seven top ten players will fight for the title at the WTA 500 tournament in Adelaide. The field of participants is led by world number one Ashleigh Barty, with Aryna Sabalenka and Garbine Muguruza, their first two pursuers in the state of South Australia. In addition, Barbora Krejcikova, Maria Sakkari, Paula Badosa and Iga Swiatek are doing the honors.
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, Naomi Osaka, Jessica Pegula, Emma Raducanu and Simona Halep will compete in the two parallel WTA 250 tournaments in Melbourne. The two fields of participants will be split up in the coming week.
Kerber starts in Sydney
Angelique Kerber, however, will only intervene in the tournament a week later and make her first appearance at the WTA 500 tournament in Sydney, which starts on January 10th. A very demanding start, as Barty and Muguruza, among others, also called for the tournament.
In addition, another tournament (250) will take place immediately before the Australian Open in Adelaide. According to the current entry list, Elina Svitolina, who recently announced the commitment of Günter Bresnik , will be in first place.