19-time grand slam champion Roger Federer will return to Perth in January to play in the MasterCard Hopman Cup for the second consecutive year.
The world No.2 will pair up with Belinda Bencic to play in the exhibition event, which features mixed teams of two players from around the world. Federer, who last won the event back in 2001 with Martina Hingis, is projected to be the highest ranked player to participate in the 2018 tournament.
It was at the Hopman Cup, where Federer played his first competitive match since returning from a six-month injury lay-off at the start of this season. His presence proved to be a hit with Siwtzerland’s tie against Germany attracting a total of 13,785 spectators. The biggest ever crowd to attend a tennis event in Western Australia.
A total of eight teams will take part. Among them will be Japan, who hasn’t participated in the Hopman Cup for 16 years. Yuichi Sugita and Naomi Osaka will be representing the country. The two will be bidding to guide Japan to the final of the event for the first time in the competition’s history.
Angelique Kerber and Alexander Zverev will lead the German contingent. Two-time grand slam champion Kerber will be making her debut in the event.
“I’m excited to play in Perth at the Hopman Cup for the first time,” Kerber told hopmancup.com.
“I’ve watched the tournament from afar and have always wanted to play. The crowd and atmosphere at the arena looked incredible this year and I can’t wait to be a part of it in 2018.
“Sascha (Alexander Zverev) is such a talented player and has had an exceptional year. I know we will enjoy playing together for Germany,” she added.
Depending on the draw, there could be a rematch of Federer against Zverev in Perth. In January the world No.4 got the better of the Swiss 36-year-old in three tightly contested tiebreakers. On the ATP Tour, their head-to-head is currently tied at 2-2.
“My match with Roger in January was an amazing experience with wonderful crowds who really love their tennis,” Zverev recounted.
Thanassi Kokkinakis is relishing his presence in the draw alongside Daria Gavrilova. Despite being the host nation, Australia has only managed to win the Hopman Cup twice since 1989 (1999 and 2016).
“I can’t wait. Hopman Cup is an opportunity and I’ve been wanting to play for a few years now,” Kokkinakis said.
“Obviously health hasn’t let me but I had an unbelievable experience when I was sixteen years old.
“It’s going to be unreal. To have three to four quality matches in the heat, maybe it’s hotter than it is in Melbourne and getting ready for the Aussie Open, is going to be perfect. Quality opposition – what better way to prepare?”
The 2018 Hopman cup will take place between January 1st-7th. A total of six current top 20 players are set to participate.
Full list of teams
Australia – Thanasi Kokkinakis and Daria Gavrilova
Belgium – David Goffin and Elise Mertens
Canada – Vasek Pospisil and Eugenie Bouchard
Germany – Alexander Zverev and Angelique Kerber
Japan – Yuichi Sugita and Naomi Osaka
Russia – Karen Khachanov and Svetlana Kuznetsova
Switzerland – Roger Federer and Belinda Bencic
USA – Jack Sock and Coco Vandeweghe
