Nine of the top ten players will start their season at the Adelaide International, the first tournament of the 2022 WTA calendar. The tournament is scheduled from 2 January.
The entry list features defending champion Iga Swiatek and 2021 Wimbledon champion Ashleigh Barty, this year’s WTA Finals champion Garbine Muguruza, reigning Roland Garros singles and doubles champion Barbora Krejikova, Olympic singles gold medallist Belinda Bencic, Petra Kvitova (two-time Wimbledon champion in 2011 and 2014), and other former Grand Slam champions Victoria Azarenka (two-time Australian Open champion in 2012 and 2013), Sofia Kenin (2020 Australian Open champion) and Jelena Ostapenko (Roland Garros winner in 2017 and semifinalist at Wimbledon in 2018).
Ashleigh Barty won the second Grand Slam title of her career at Wimbledon. The Australian player beat French Open winner Barbora Krejcikova in the quarter final and 2018 champion Angelique Kerber to set up a final against Karolina Pliskova. Barty beat Pliskova 6-3 6-7 (4-7) 6-3 in the final becoming the first Australian player to win the Wimbledon title since Evonne Goolagong Cawley in 1980 and the first top seed to win this tournament since Serena Williams in 2016.
Barty also clinched two WTA 1000 titles in Miami and Cincinnati, a WTA 500 tournament in Stuttgart and the Yarra Valley Classic tournament in Melbourne.
Swiatek won the Roland Garros title in 2020 and went on to win the Adelaide tournament at the start of the 2021 season beating Belinda Bencic in straight sets in the final without dropping a set in the whole tournament. The Polish player beat Sofia Kenin in the French Open final to become the first player from her country to win a Grand Slam title. She also became the youngest women’s singles winner since Monica Seles in 1992.
The other top names in the line-up are Aryna Sabalenka (two-time Grand Slam semifinalist at Wimbledon and at at the US Open in 2021 and this year’s Australian Open doubles champion), Ons Jabeur (the first Arab player in history to reach the top 10), Paula Badosa (2021 Indian Wells champion) and Coco Gauff, who became the youngest US playet to reach the Roland Garros singles quarter finals since Jennifer Capriati and advanced to the US Open doubles final in 2021. In total the women’s line-up holds 12 Grand Slam singles titles between them.
The men’s field features Gael Monfils, Olympic singles silver medallist Karen Khachanov, Marin Cilic (2014 US Open champion and finalist at Wimbledon 2017 and at the Australian Open 2018) and John Millman from Australia. “The calibre of players we are able to attract is testament to the smart investment we have made in the venue”, said SA Premier Steven Marshall.
