Wildcard recipients Thanasi Kokkinakis, Rinky Hijikata and Maya Joint have boosted Australia’s presence within the Brisbane Worldwide discipline to 9.
Brisbane, Australia, 20 December 2024 | tennis.com.au
Thanasi Kokkinakis, Rinky Hijikata and Maya Joint have boosted the native contingent in the primary draw to 9 on the 2025 Brisbane Worldwide after touchdown wildcards on Friday.
In his first official occasion since serving to steer Australia to the Davis Cup semifinals in November – together with a match-points saving feat towards america’ Ben Shelton – Kokkinakis will take his place within the discipline on the Queensland Tennis Centre for the fifth time.
Earlier final month, the world No.77 denied compatriot Hijikata for the Sydney Challenger title, his first at that stage on Australian soil.
> READ MORE: Walton, Birrell earn Brisbane Worldwide wildcards
It was a reverse outcome to when the pair squared off within the opening spherical at Pat Rafter Area at this yr’s Brisbane Worldwide in January.
World No.73 Hijikata went on to succeed in the final eight on that run, one in all 5 tour-level quarterfinals for the season, together with on the ATP 500 occasion on grass at Queen’s Membership.
“Clearly I’ve obtained good recollections of Brisbane initially of this yr, made the quarterfinals right here, so it was a good way to begin off the yr and I really feel prefer it sort of put me in good stead for the season,” Hijikata stated.
“Hoping I can repeat that or go even additional this yr so, yeah, I’m wanting ahead to it and it’s all the time good to play at residence …
“There’s all the time nice turnouts on the Brisbane Worldwide, so I’m certain it’s going to be the identical this yr. You need to take a look at your self towards the very best gamers on this planet, that’s sort of why you choose up a racquet and play.”
Rinky Hijikata and Maya Joint at Pat Rafter Area. Photograph: Tennis Queensland
Australia’s fourth-ranked girl, world No.116 Joint will make her Brisbane debut following a breakout season through which the 18-year-old reached the second spherical on the US Open and was named a joint winner of the Feminine Junior Athlete of the 12 months on the Australian Tennis Awards this month.
“It’ll be my first time enjoying it and I believe it’s actually essential to begin of the yr actually sturdy. Can’t wait to play in entrance of the house crowd,” Joint stated.
“I’d like to play Sabalenka. I’d identical to to check my stage, simply see how I match up. I believe it’d be actually cool to play somebody of that commonplace.”
Kokkinakis and Hijikata be part of Adam Walton as males’s wildcard recipients alongside direct-entrant compatriots Nick Kyrios, Alexei Popyrin and Jordan Thompson for the occasion, which options 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic, defending champion Grigor Dimitrov (No.10), Holger Rune (No.13), Frances Tiafoe (No.18) and Matteo Berrettini (No.34).
Joint joins fellow wildcard recipients Kimberly Birrell and Ajla Tomljanovic for the ladies’s WTA 500 occasion, which additionally options 4 top-10 gamers together with world No.1 Aryna Sabalenka, Jessica Pegula (No.7), Emma Navarro (No.8) and Daria Kasatkina (No.9).
The Brisbane Worldwide runs from 29 December to five January on the Queensland Tennis Centre.
Qualifying motion begins on Friday 27 December, with the primary draw to begin on Sunday 29 December.
Tickets for the Brisbane Worldwide are on sale by way of Ticketmaster.
Discover your method to play: Go to play.tennis.com.au to get out on court docket and have some enjoyable!
