The Brisbane International was a staple on the ATP Tour calendar for precisely a decade before it was dropped in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
But things are about to change next year in a freshly revamped tournament calendar that will see the ATP 250 event make its return to the Queensland Tennis Centre for the first time since 2019. And the tournament has no shortage of big-name stars.
A slew of the world's best tennis players will grace the courts at the 2024 Brisbane International which will run concomitantly in the same week as its sister event on the WTA tour. So far, at least five Grand Slam champions have confirmed their participation.
The headline act is expected to be four-time Grand Salm winner Naomi Osaka who will play for the first time in more than a year. Osaka, twice a champion at the Australian Open, will use Brisbane as a tune-up event for Melbourne.
But news of Carlos Alcaraz potentially signing up for this tournament is gathering pace and the tournament is flexing every inch of its financial resources to lure the Spanish World No. 2 to make an uncustomary trip to the state of Queensland.
The women's field is replete with world-class talent. Aside from Osaka, the likes of Aryna Sabelanka, Elena Rybakina, and Victoria Azarenka have also booked their tickets for an opening week of competition. The Brisbane International will kick off on December 31 and run till January 7.
Securing Alcaraz's services for the men's draw won't be easy. The Spaniard is reportedly not expected to play any ATP-sanctioned events before the Australian Open. The 20-year-old will be in the Middle East in late December to play a lucrative exhibition match with Novak Djokovic in Saudi Arabia.
So any potential deal to bring Alcaraz to Brisbane would need to be concluded very soon to avoid complicating his off-season schedule, and the tournament organizers are working around the clock to sign him up following the acquisition of World No. 17 Ben Shelton.
"It brings credibility to a women's draw that was already strong. And Ben's got the game for this court; it will really suit him. He owns the court, he's got the swagger. He'll be a fan favorite and I genuinely think he'll be a grand slam champion in the next few years."
"Obviously he's (Carlos Alcaraz) a quality player we'd love to see in Brisbane. We've got another week, let's see what transpires."
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