Brisbane, Dec 29: Aleksandar Vukic, Rinky Hijikata, Naomi Osaka, Kimberly Birrell, Arina Rodionova and Daria Saville have been named Wildcard entrants for Brisbane International 2024, here on Wednesday.The recent announcement of wildcard entries for both the men’s and women’s singles draws has added an extra layer of excitement to an already star-studded event.
Vukic, riding the wave of a stellar 2023 season, has seen his ranking soar from outside the top 200 to an impressive world No.62. His breakthrough performance in reaching the ATP singles final at Atlanta not only catapulted him into the top 50 but also earned him a wildcard spot in the Brisbane International. Eager to maintain the momentum, Vukic is set to make his tournament debut in front of the passionate Australian crowd.
āThereās nothing like the Aussie support,ā said Vukic to the local media.
Hijikata, a 22-year-old rising star, is equally excited about the prospect of competing in Brisbane for the first time. With career-high rankings of world No.70 in singles and world No.23 in doubles, Hijikata is a force to be reckoned with. Fresh from preseason training at the Queensland Tennis Centre, he expressed his anticipation for experiencing the renowned Australian atmosphere firsthand.
āIāve never had the chance to play up here, but Iāve heard a lot of great things from all the players, especially the Aussies,ā Hijikata said.
āIāve heard the atmosphere is great, so Iām really looking forward to experiencing that myself,ā he added.