Tennis: Former US Open champion Sloane Stephens latest signing for ASB Women’s Classic

Sloane Stephens of the US. Photo / Nick Reed

ASB Classic tournament director Nicolas Lamperin believes the field he is assembling for the return of the WTA women’s tennis tournament to Auckland in January will stack up well when compared to pre-pandemic fields.

Lamperin has just announced his third player for the women’s Classic, 2016 champion Sloane Stephens, who won the US Open in 2017. The 29-year-old is 37th in the world and joins fellow American and world No 7 Coco Gauff and 2021 US Open runner-up Leylah Fernandez in the field. The young Canadian is ranked 40th.

There’s a distinct North American flavour to the early signings but Lamperin is adamant there will be at least one big name from Europe who could be announced next week, and a couple of rising stars who have been secured but not yet revealed.

The launch of the new United Cup mixed teams event in Australia, which coincides with the women’s Classic, features 18 teams and potentially takes out 30 or 40 players from the mix, while the new WTA 500 tournament in Adelaide carries double the ranking points of Auckland and increased prize money.

Lamperin says while there will be some impact, his Auckland field will be strong.

“I’ve been monitoring the entry lists from the from the United Cup and there are some big names but I would have expected more to join the competition and I think the deadline was yesterday, so that means players are not able to enter the United Cup anymore but they are still able to enter the ASB Classic, so I don’t think it’s going to affect us for next year.

“While the WTA 500 will take some players out of the field, I am convinced that with the key names we have assembled we will have a very competitive field, probably similar to what was done in the past.”

Lamperin says the signing of Stephens, who has won seven WTA Tour titles and reached a career high of third in the world in 2018, fits with their strategy.

“She’s a very good addition to our field and very much part of the strategy we have. So always trying to combine players that are in the top 10, up and coming talent, and players who have a history with the tournament. Sloane in that respect is a perfect example, winning the title in 2016 and then going on to win the US Open the next year.”

There’s expected to be a further player announcement next week before the full field is confirmed in the first week of December. It’s two weeks later than previously due to the late launch of the United Cup. Entries will close four weeks before the women’s Classic starts on January 2, instead of the previous six-week deadline.

The men’s Classic has signed three top-20 players - world No 4 Casper Ruud, 10th-ranked Holger Rune and Kiwi-raised Brit Cam Norrie, who is ranked 14th.