The Brisbane International, a prelude to the Australian Open, is where world No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka and world No. 4 Elena Rybakina will begin their 2024 campaigns, the organizers announced on Tuesday.
The WTA 500 event, which is returning in the first week of January following a three-year break necessitated initially by the COVID pandemic, already had former world number one Naomi Osaka confirmed.
The United Cup mixed tournament, which is being held in Perth and Sydney the same week, is closed to Sabalenka due to the ongoing ban on teams from Belarus and Russia resulting from the invasion of Ukraine.
In the 48-player Brisbane field, the 25-year-old will team up with fellow Belarusian and two-time Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka in anticipation of her first Grand Slam title defense at Melbourne Park.
Did you read this?
"Australia holds a special place in my heart after winning my first Grand Slam there," Sabalenka said in a news release.
"I can't wait to make my debut at the Brisbane International and play in front of the Queensland tennis fans."
The 2022 Wimbledon champion Rybakina, a Kazakh woman of Russian descent, was defeated by Sabalenka in the Melbourne Cup final this year.
