Novak Djokovic, Aryna Sabalenka To Start 2025 Season In Brisbane - UBITENNIS

Novak Djokovic, Aryna Sabalenka To Start 2025 Season In Brisbane

By Adam Addicott
6 Min Read

Novak Djokovic will begin the new season by playing at the Brisbane International for the first time since 2009.

The 24-time Grand Slam champion will be the top seed at the ATP 250 event, which will get underway during the first week of January. It will be only the second time Djokovic has played in Brisbane and he is yet to win a match at the tournament after losing the only game he played against Latvia’s Ernests Gulbis. He will be hoping for a strong performance ahead of his bid to win a record 10th Australian Open title.

“I’m excited to be kicking off my Australian swing at the Brisbane International and to compete again at Pat Rafter Arena,” Djokovic said.

“I am looking forward to experiencing the incredible support from the Australian fans and making this tournament one to remember.”

Brisbane will be the first Tour event where Andy Murray will be working as a coach after the Brit was appointed to Djokovic’s team. Under the current agreement, he will continue his role until the first Grand Slam of the new year has ended but he could continue for longer depending on how their partnership unfolds. Coincidentally Murray is one of only two male players to have won Brisbane on multiple occasions. The other to do so is Grigor Dimitrov.

“Since I was very young, I have played against him… and there are not many people who have won multiple Grand Slam titles,” Djokovic said of Murray during a recent press conference in Buenos Aires.

“He knows my game and everything that I have been through very well.

“He knows the things that are wrong with my game, all of my mistakes.”

Three other top 20 players have also entered into the draw, including defending champion Dimitrov who is the second-highest entry after Djokovic. Holger Rune and Frances Tiafoe will also play. The tournament will also mark Nick Kyrgios’ return to competitive tennis following a lengthy absence due to injury. The Australian hasn’t played since June 2022.

Meanwhile, the women’s event, categorized as a WTA 500, features a stellar line-up with 11 out of the world’s top 20 entering to play. Aryna Sabalenka will be the top seed ahead of the American duo of Jessica Pegula and Emma Navarro. Sabalenka reached the Brisbane final 12 months ago before losing to Elena Rybakina.

“We are thrilled to have Novak headlining the Brisbane International 2025 along with world No.1 Aryna Sabalenka,” tournament director Cam Pearson commented.

“This is by far the strongest field the tournament has seen with 15 of the top-20 men and women players confirmed.

Daria Kasatkina, Paula Badosa, Jelena Ostapenko, Mirra Andreeva and Victoria Azarenka will also be playing.

Full list of entries

ATP 250 – includes world rankings:

Novak Djokovic – No.7

Grigor Dimitrov – No.10

Holger Rune – No.13

Frances Tiafoe – No.18

Nick Kyrgios – PR* No.21

Sebastian Korda – No.22

Alejandro Tabilo – No.23

Alexei Popyrin – No.24

Jordan Thompson – No.26

Sebastián Báez – No.27

Jiri Lehecka – No.28

Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard – No.31

Reilly Opelka – PR No.33

Matteo Berrettini – No.34

Nicolás Jarry – No.35

Matteo Arnaldi – No.37

Alex Michelsen – No.41

Marcos Giron – No.46

Mariano Navone – No.47

Jakub Menšík – No.48

David Goffin – No.52

Gaël Monfils – No.55

WTA 500 – includes world rankings:

Aryna Sabalenka – No.1

Jessica Pegula – No.7

Emma Navarro – No.8

Daria Kasatkina – No.9

Paula Badosa – No.12

Diana Shnaider – No.13

Anna Kalinskaya – No.14

Jelena Ostapenko – No.15

Mirra Andreeva – No.16

Marta Kostyuk – No.18

Victoria Azarenka – No.20

Magdalena Frech – No.25

Linda Noskova – No.26

Liudmila Samsonova– No.27

Ekaterina Alexandrova – No.28

Yulia Putintseva – No.29

Dayana Yastremska – No.33

Anastasia Potapova – No.35

Xinyu Wang – No.37

Magda Linette – No.38

Ons Jabeur – No.42

Rebecca Sramkova – No.43

Elina Avanesyan – No.44

Marie Bouzkova – No.45

Peyton Stearns – No.47

Yue Yuan – No.49

Viktoriya Tomova – No.54

Moyuka Uchijima – No.56

Anhelina Kalinina – No.57

Renata Zarazua – No.58

Kamilla Rakhimova – No.63

Yafan Wang – No.64

Ashlyn Krueger – No.65

Mccartney Kessler – No.67

Cristina Bucsa – No.71

Anna Blinkova – No.75

Veronika Kudermetova – No.76

Arantxa Rus – No.80

(WC) Ajla Tomljanovic – No.108

*PR = protected ranking

source – brisbaneinternational.com.au

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