Belinda Bencic won't be competing at the 2023 Hopman Cup after the Swiss player withdrew from the event.
From July 19th to 23rd, 2023, the Hopman Cup returned to the calendar, but this time, it won't be held in Australia but in France at the Nice Lawn Tennis Club. Once the event's return was announced, many fans were excited about it, but the excitement seemingly dropped off over time.
One of the reasons is the fact that the tournament is held immediately after Wimbledon, making it difficult for many players to attend the tournament. Injured Paula Badosa was one of the players who withdrew from the tournament, and while the initial entry list for the 2023 Hopman Cup looked star-studded, the star names are starting to disappear.
After the withdrawal of the third highest-ranked WTA player at the event, also the highest-ranked athlete withdrew as Belinda Bencic won't compete along Leandro Riedi, making Switzerland's team significantly weaker.
The young Swiss player will be now joined by another youngster, Celine Naef, who defeated seven-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams earlier this year. The schedule of play remains unchanged, except for the fact that Bencic's name was replaced by Naef's.
That means that Celine Naef will kick off the action at the 2023 Hopman Cup in the first match against Clara Tauson from Denmark on July 19th. The Swiss teenager will then return to action on July 21st, taking on Alize Cornet from France.
The tournament organizers will now hope that the two biggest stars will remain committed to the tournament, because their withdrawal could hurt the event's viewership numbers even more.
The two names are Carlos Alcaraz and Holger Rune, and while the young Dane seems to be preparing for the tournament, the 20-year-old Spaniard just lifted his second Grand Slam title, and his presence is therefore questionable.
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