The 2024
season is approaching, and it kicks off in New Zealand with the WTA 250 ASB
Classic on the outdoor hard courts at the ASB Tennis Centre. The tournament
boasts a lineup of nine players within the top 50, led by defending champion
Coco Gauff (world No. 3) and Ukrainian Elina Svitolina (No. 25). Additionally,
fans can anticipate the return of
Emma Raducanu, who has received a wild card
from the organizers.
In
Auckland, the players will compete in a main draw of 32 players from December
31 to January 7, serving as preparation for the first Grand Slam of the year,
the
Australian Open. Interestingly, all the players directly entering the ASB
Classic Open will also be present at the Australian Open.
Gauff
enters as the top seed and favorite to retain the title she secured in 2023.
This tournament will serve as a crucial test for her to showcase her early-year
form and arrive in peak condition for the Australian Open.
Comebacks
The entry
list reveals the presence of several players who did not compete at the end of
the previous year. The second seed will be Elina Svitolina, who took a break
from competition during the early months of 2023 and will be looking to
accumulate points to climb the rankings. Svitolina concluded her season after
the US Open, meaning she will return to action after almost four months.
Former
world No. 1
Caroline Wozniacki is in a similar situation. After coming out of a
three-and-a-half-year retirement during the US hardcourt swing, she has not
competed since the US Open. Wozniacki aims to regain her rhythm for the Aussie
Open, the Grand Slam she won in 2018, which remains her only Grand Slam title.
After a
nine-month hiatus since her last appearance, young star Emma Raducanu is making
her comeback to the court after an extended recovery from wrist surgeries.
Ranked World No. 298, the British player will start seeking rhythm to return to
high-level competition. Amanda Anisimova is also making a comeback after a
mental health break since her defeat in April at the 2023 Madrid Open.
Here is the
complete entry list for the tournament:
1. Coco
Gauff (USA) World No 3
2. Elina Svitolina (UKR) No 25
3. Lesia Tsurenko (UKR) No 31
4. Emma Navarro (USA) No 32
5. Marie Bouzkova (CZE) No 34
6. Xinyu Wang (CHN) No 36
7. Petra Martic (CRO) No 40
8. Varvara Gracheva (FRA) No 43
9. Anna Blinkova No 50
10. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova No 57
11. Magdalena Frech (POL) No 63
12. Rebecca Masarova (ESP) No 64
13. Yulia Putintseva (KAZ) No 68
14. Xiyu Wang (CHN) No 71
15. Elina Avanesyan No 74
16. Yue Yuan (CHN) No 77
17. Emina Bektas (USA) No 87
18 Kayla Kay (USA) No 89
19 Jaqueline Cristian (ROU) 91
20. Linda Fruhvirtova (CZE) No 93
21. Diane Parry (FRA) 94
22. Claire Liu (USA) 99.
WC:
Caroline Wozniacki
WC: Emma
Raducanu
WC: Amanda
Anisimova