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IMAGE: Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic pose with their trophies after the Riyadh Season Tennis Cup exhibition match at Kingdom Enviornment in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday. {Photograph}: Ahmed Yosri/Reuters
Novak Djokovic will put together for a tilt at an eleventh Australian Open title by representing Serbia on the United Cup combined staff event whereas outdated rival Rafael Nadal and former ladies’s world primary Naomi Osaka return at Brisbane after time away.
Djokovic loved a spectacular 2023, profitable three out of the 4 Grand Slams, beginning along with his triumph at Melbourne Park, however not like final season when he warmed-up at Adelaide, the 36-year-old headlines the 18-nation occasion that begins on Friday.
9 of the world’s high 20 males’s gamers, together with 24-times main champion Djokovic, Melbourne runner-up Stefanos Tsitsipas, world quantity seven Alexander Zverev and world quantity 11 Casper Ruud will play within the second version of the $10 million occasion.
World primary and French Open champion Iga Swiatek leads the massive names amongst ladies as she bids to information Poland to victory within the revamped occasion that may function fewer matches this 12 months and happen in Perth and Sydney.
Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova, Jessica Pegula and Maria Sakkari may even be in motion.
Spain meet Brazil on the opening day earlier than Britain tackle hosts Australia.
The US are the defending champions after beating Italy in a one-sided closing final day out.
Nadal endured two defeats within the inaugural version earlier than a hip harm at this 12 months’s Australian Open decimated his season and the Spaniard makes his much-awaited comeback on the December 31-January 7 Brisbane Worldwide the place he final performed in 2017.
The injury-plagued 37-year-old underwent surgical procedure in June and expects 2024 to be his closing season on tour.
The Brisbane event, which returns to the tennis circuit as an Australian Open warm-up for the primary time since 2020, may even mark Osaka’s return after a break of 15 months.
The four-times Grand Slam champion final performed a WTA occasion on the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo in late September 2022 and had a daughter in July this 12 months.
She shall be joined in a packed area by reigning Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka, whereas US Open holder Coco Gauff begins her season on the Jan. 1-7 Auckland Basic.
Males’s world quantity two Carlos Alcaraz, who denied Djokovic a clear sweep of the Grand Slams along with his Wimbledon triumph, will head to the Australian Open starting January 14 with out enjoying a tune-up occasion having missed this 12 months’s version with harm.
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