Adelaide International: Kokkinakis, O’Connell and Hon among wildcard recipients
Thanasi Kokkinakis, Chris O’Connell, Jordan Thompson, Priscilla Hon and Jaimee Fourlis will launch their 2023 seasons at the Adelaide International.
Adelaide, Australia, 28 December 2022 | Tennis Australia
Defending champion Thanasi Kokkinakis, as well as countrymen Aussies Chris O’Connell and Jordan Thompson, have been awarded wildcards for week one of the Adelaide International.
They will be joined by fellow Australians Priscilla Hon and Jaimee Fourlis, who have received wildcards in the women’s main draw, when action begins at The Drive from 1 to 8 January 2023.
Hometown hero and fan favourite Kokkinakis is set to return to defend his Adelaide International crown. His first title on the ATP Tour, Kokkinakis defeated Arthur Rinderknech in the Adelaide final, before going on to win the Australian Open 2022 doubles title alongside Nick Kyrgios, defeating Matthew Ebden and Max Purcell in the first all-Australian Grand Slam doubles final since Australian Open 1980.
O’Connell was unranked at the beginning of 2019 and broke into top 200 in September 2019. He achieved a career-high ranking of world 78 last month after winning two ATP Challenger Tour titles this year.
World No.84 Thompson has won two ATP Challenger Tour titles this year including Surbiton, Great Britain in May and Columbus, USA in September. Thompson reached the second rounds at Wimbledon and the US Open this year.
Hon won three ITF World Tennis Tour titles this year and reached the second round of the Adelaide International in January, scoring her first top-20 win over former world No.2 Petra Kvitova (CZE) in the first round.
Fourlis also won three ITF World Tennis Tour titles in 2022, reaching a career high ranking of 147 in July this year. Fourlis was a mixed doubles finalist alongside Jason Kubler (Qld) at the Australian Open 2022.
The combined WTA 500 and ATP 250 tennis tournament will feature 21-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic, world No.6 Felix Auger-Aliassime and world No.7 Daniil Medvedev.
Four of the world’s top 10 women will also begin the new year in Adelaide, with world No.2 Ons Jabeur, world No.5 Aryna Sabalenka, world No.8 Daria Kasatkina and world No.9 Veronika Kudermetova all entered.
John Millman, Rinky Hijikata, Storm Hunter, Kim Birrell and Australian Tennis Awards, Newcombe Medal Junior Athlete of the Year Taylah Preston have been awarded wildcards for the qualifying draw starting Saturday 31 December 2022.
The Adelaide International begins at The Drive on 1 January 2023.
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