Rafael Nadal, Naomi Osaka headline star-studded Brisbane International field
Rafael Nadal and Naomi Osaka headline a star-studded field for January's Brisbane International, with all eyes set to be on the returning former Australian Open winners.
Brisbane will mark Nadal's first tournament since this year's Australian Open, where he was ousted by then-world No.65 Mackenzie McDonald while being hampered by an abdominal injury.
Nadal's entire 2023 campaign was then wrecked by numerous injuries, the most serious being a hip issue that resulted in him missing the last three majors of the year.
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The Spaniard has announced that the 2024 season is likely to be the last of his stellar career which spans well over two decades.
Rafael Nadal has not played a single match since an abdominal injury ended his 2023 Australian Open campaign Cameron Spencer via Getty Images
Osaka, a two-time Australian Open champion, will also return after a lengthy layoff.
The Japanese superstar last appeared on a court at the Toray Pan Pacific Open in 2022 where she was forced to withdraw due to an abdominal injury.
All of Rafael Nadal's grand slam triumphs, in order
All of Rafael Nadal's grand slam triumphs, in order
Osaka missed the entire 2023 season after giving birth to her first child, who was born in July.
Osaka and Nadal are far from the only stars who will be making appearances in Brisbane, with four of the current top-20 players on the men's circuit scheduled to play, while eight of the top-20 women's players will also take part in the tournament.
Naomi Osaka is a two-time Australian Open champion Xinhua News Agency/Getty Images
There are also plenty of Aussies in the field, with Alexei Popyrin, Max Purcell and Jordan Thompson named in the men's draw, while Kimberly Birrell will be a wildcard in the women's draw.
"We are thrilled so many of the world's best players want to come to Brisbane. This is one of the strongest fields the tournament has seen in both the men's and women's fields," Brisbane International tournament director Cam Pearson said.
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"To have nine Grand Slam champions, 12 WTA/ATP top-20 players, along with so many Australian favourites is great news for the tournament and our fans."
The Brisbane International will commence on December 31 and wrap up on January 7.
MEN'S TOP 20 PLAYERS: 8. Holger Rune, 14. Grigor Dimitrov, 17. Ben Shelton, 20. Ugo Humbert
WOMEN'S TOP 20 PLAYERS: 2. Aryna Sabalenka, 4. Elena Rybakina, 8. Karolina Muchova, 12. Madison Keys, 13. Jelena Ostapenko, 16. Liudmila Samsonova, 18. Daria Kasatkina, 19. Veronika Kudermetova
