Djokovic to begin 2023 in South Australia

Adelaide : Tennis great Novak Djokovic will begin his 2023 campaign at the Adelaide International ahead of his bid for a 10th Australian Open title, confirmed tournament organisers. The Adelaide International on Wednesday announced a star-studded field for the first week of the 2023 edition, featuring eight of the world’s top 10 men and women, reports Xinhua news agency. Djokovic, a 21-time grand slam winner, will play his first tournament in Australia in two years after the federal government overturned a ban on the Serbian superstar entering the country. He will be joined in the men’s field by world No 6 Felix Auger-Aliassime, No 7 Daniil Medvedev and No 8 Andrey Rublev, in addition to rising star Jannik Sinner and veteran Andy Murray. The women’s field is headlined by top-10 players Ons Jabeur, Aryna Sabalenka, Daria Kasatkina and Veronika Kudermetova and two-time Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka. “We are thrilled to confirm such a world-class line-up for week one of the Adelaide International,” Tournament Director Alistair MacDonald said in a media release. “The caliber of both ATP and WTA players who have entered ensures that tennis fans are going to see the world’s best in Adelaide ahead of the Australian Open.” The 2023 Adelaide International will be composed of two tournaments – the first running from January 1-8 and the second from January 9-14. The government in November announced it had granted Djokovic a visa to play in Australia in January. It came ten months after the 35-year-old was detained and deported from Australia after attempting to enter the country without being vaccinated against COVID-19. The 2023 Australian Open begins on January 16.