CANBERRA (Dispatches) -- Nine of the world’s top-10 ranked women’s tennis players will start their 2022 seasons in South Australia (SA).
The SA Government recently revealed the star-studded playing fields for the 2022 Adelaide International, which will be held from January 2 to 9.
Australia’s world number one and 2020 Adelaide champion Ashleigh Barty will be joined at the tournament by eight fellow top-10 players including former world number ones Garbine Muguruza, Karolina Pliskova and Victoria Azarenka.
Reigning Adelaide International champion and world number nine Iga Swiatek will also return to defend her title.
SA Premier Steven Marshall said the strong field means the “eyes of the world” will be on Adelaide, capital city of the state of SA, in the lead-up to the 2022 Australian Open, justifying the government’s 44 million AUD redevelopment of the tennis center.
Former world number six Gael Monfils, 2014 US Open champion Marin Cilic and local hope John Millman will lead the men’s field.
“To have players the calibre of Ash Barty and Gael Monfils heading to Adelaide is such exciting news for all tennis fans,” Corey Wingard, SA’s Minister for Recreation, Sport and Racing, said in a media release on Friday afternoon.
“The venue is looking fantastic and will be event ready for January with the project fully completed later in 2022.”
Barty, the 2021 Wimbledon champion, in November became the fifth female player in history to secure the year-end number one ranking for three consecutive seasons.
She ended her season early in October in order to be fully fit for the Australian Open after being knocked out of the Grand Slam in the quarter-finals in 2021.