Brisbane to host post-Open WTA event

Brisbane is shaping up as the host of a WTA 500 tournament immediately after the Australian Open in Melbourne.

The event is to be played the week starting February 22.

And there are five tournaments planned for Melbourne Park in the week before the Open – the ATP Cup men’s teams event, two WTA 500 events and two ATP 250 tournaments.

The four new tournaments, with prize money of more than $2.2 million, have been named to promote key regions of Victoria following last year’s bushfire and then pandemic.

World No.1 Ashleigh Barty will make her return to the court after securing a spot in one of the women’s events starting on January 31 in Melbourne, either the Gippsland Trophy or the Yarra Valley Classic.

The men’s events will be the Great Ocean Road Open and the Murray River Open.

Nick Kyrgios will play the Murray River Open, along with Stan Wawrinka and Grigor Dimitrov.

Barty will make a public statement from her home in Brisbane tomorrow (Friday) to outline her on-court commitments.

Peter Rowe

Recent Posts

Halep seething over Swiatek wrist-slap doping penalty

Doping sanction victim Simona Halep has gone online to protest her own treatment by anti-doping…

3 weeks ago

Nadal goes down in final match

Rafael Nadal lined up for what was to be the final match of his career…

1 month ago

Sinner flattens de Minaur in runaway home start

Jannik Sinner took charge in front of his home crowd on Sunday, crushing ATP Finals…

1 month ago

Madcap Medvedev suffers temperamental Turin Finals loss

Daniil Medvedev went into meltdown mode on Sunday during a highly charged 6-4, 6-3 loss, with opponent…

1 month ago

Team Sinner considering skipping Monte Carlo

Jannik Sinner could well be missing from the opening European clay event of next season…

1 month ago

Davis Cup Final to mark Nadal goodbye to tennis

Rafael Nadal will bring down the curtain on his career next month as he plays his…

2 months ago