Angelique Kerber will head the Adelaide International, not just as an alternate but as a main draw contender in the second WTA 500 event of the brand-new tennis season.
The 2024 Adelaide International will kick off on January 8th and run till January 13th, a day before the Australian Open. Several players ranked in the world's Top 20 have already confirmed their participation at the event, including Elena Rybakina, Jessica Pegula, and Marketa Vondrousova.
Kerber is currently part of Germany's team competing in the second edition of the United Cup. The 35-year-old returned to action for the first time since 2022 Wimbledon in Sydney, where Germany qualified for the quarterfinal as the best runner-up in the city.
They'll face one of the tournament favorites, Greece, who are led by the effervescent pair of Stefanos Tsitsipas and Maria Sakkari on Friday. Kebrer has accounted for two losses in singles against Italy's Jasmine Paolini and France's Caroline Garcia.
But the three-time Grand Slam champion scored a winning point in mixed doubles together with Alexander Zverev in the tie against Italy. They ended up finishing second in their group behind France.
Kebrer's WTA main draw appearance of 2024 will now happen at the Adelaide International following her appearance at the United Cup. She replaced China's rising star Qinwen Zheng in the draw after the World No. 14 withdrew after her country's elimination at the mixed-gender competition against Poland.
The German lefty has spoken fondly about her comeback in the days leading up to the new season after the end of her maternity leave. She has joined a growing list of returning mothers to the tour and hopes to emulate what most of them have done in their second coming.
Even though she has launched her season at the United Cup, her performances in WTA events come under the greatest scrutiny, beginning with the WTA 500 tournament in Adelaide, where Kerber will make just her second trip to the city.
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