Caroline Wozniacki will take to the court in Auckland on Tuesday. Photo / Photosport
Caroline Wozniacki will take to the court in Auckland on Tuesday. Photo / Photosport
Get ready for super Tuesday at the ASB Classic.
The Auckland women’s tennis tournament has had some big days over the years – but maybe nothing quite like this.
In terms of star power, pedigree and profile, it is easily the biggest single session in the event’s history.
It will be headlined by the match between former World No 1 Caroline Wozniacki and 2023 Wimbledon finalist Elina Svitolina. At the age of 33, Wozniacki remains one of the most recognisable and popular players in the sport, given her myriad achievements, while world No 25 Svitolina also enjoyed a remarkable comeback to the sport last year.
Such a match-up is unusual at this stage of the tournament but was always possible with Wozniacki unseeded, as a wildcard.
Defending champion and world No 3 Coco Gauff also starts the defence of her title on Tuesday. It’s her third visit to Auckland but the 19-year-old is in a different stratosphere now, as the reigning US Open champion. That win at Flushing Meadows confirmed her rich potential – talked about since she was 13 – and surely won’t be the last grand slam.
Coco Gauff. Photo / Photosport
Tuesday’s field is topped off by the presence of Emma Raducanu, who will play her first WTA match since last April. Her eight-month layoff – after operations on both hands and an ankle – has seen her ranking balloon out to No 298.
But that doesn’t really matter. The British player is one of the biggest drawcards on tour – thanks to her remarkable 2021 US Open triumph, where she became the first qualifier in the Open era to win a grand slam and did it without dropping a set.
The 21-year-old banked around $25 million (mostly from endorsements) last year, with only three female athletes earning more. With such a roll call of names on Tuesday, it’s hard to think of previous first-round days here that can compare.
2016 was full of stars – with Ana Ivanovic, Venus Williams, Wozniacki, as well as Kiwi hope Marina Erakovic, though Williams and Ivanovic were bundled out in upsets.
Emma Raducanu. Photo / Photosport
2017 was also highly impressive, as Serena Williams joined her sister and Wozniacki, along with 2020 (Serena Williams, Wozniacki and a 16-year-old Coco Gauff), though they didn’t all play on the same day.
In terms of a marquee first-round clash in Auckland, perhaps only the 2019 epic between Victoria Azarenka and Venus Williams (two former major winners) compares to the Svitolina-Wozniacki match.
With so much focus on Gauff, Wozniacki and Raducanu, it’s easy to forget how good Svitolina is. The former world No 3 has made the last four at three grand slams (2019 and 2023 Wimbledon, 2019 French Open), along with 17 singles titles.
After a year off for the birth of her first child, Svitolina surprised many observers with her stunning run in London, beating world No 1 Iga Swiatek en route to the semifinals.
”I was trying to give myself time, to not rush myself too much,” reflected Svitolina on her return to the sport. “It was not easy because when you come back you want to come back into playing well but it was important to practise well, to do the work I have to do.”
Typically seen as a defensive baseliner, Svitolina has taken more of an aggressive approach since her return – and it seems to be working.
The 29-year-old has enjoyed a good buildup in Auckland, with husband Gael Monfils also in town, ahead of his appearance next week, along with their daughter Skai.
”It’s not easy to play with score with him because he wants to win – badly,” laughed Svitolina when asked about hitting with Monfils. “I’m used to it already, training together for five years or even more. It’s good for me to work on my shots and work on my footwork as well, I have to work 200 per cent on each practice.”
As a bonus, Kiwi Erin Routliffe is also in doubles action, a few months after her historic triumph at the US Open alongside Gabriela Dabrowski, while Swiss qualifier Lulu Sun – who was born in Te Anau and is considering a switch to play under the New Zealand flag – will play her first-round match.
Michael Burgess has been a sports journalist since 2005, winning several national awards and covering Olympics, Fifa World Cups and America’s Cup campaigns.
