16 August 2022 | Tennis Victoria

Media Release via Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club

WELCOMES AUSTRALIA’S TOP RANKED MAN ALEX de MINAUR AND WORLD NUMBER 4, SPAIN’S CARLOS ALCARAZ

The 2023 CareA2+ Kooyong Classic has secured two of the most outstanding young talents in world tennis in Australian Number 1 Alex de Minaur and Spanish World Number 4 Carlos Alcaraz.

The return of tennis to the iconic Australian venue captured the attention of two genuine grand slam contenders aiming to take the next step to becoming a major champion.

de Minaur, Australia’s number 1 and Davis Cup leader, and Alcaraz, identified as Spain’s hottest prospect since Rafael Nadal, believe the CareA2+ Kooyong Classic is the perfect launching pad for next season.

The event, which runs from January 10-12 at the Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club, has regularly drawn legends of the game to compete since its inception more than three decades ago.

 

Champions of the sport consider Kooyong an ideal destination to fine-tune ahead of the Australian Open, with the boutique tournament offering much for fans as well.
de Minaur, who was born in Sydney but has used Melbourne as his training base for the Australian summer in recent years, is excited to make his debut in the prestigious event.

The 23-year-old, who was a quarterfinalist at the US Open in 2020, has already claimed six ATP Tour titles, including a recent triumph over a talented field in the Atlanta Open.
“I am really looking forward to playing in the 2023 Kooyong Classic for the first time. It will be great to play at the Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club, which has such a rich history,” he said.
“It should be the perfect final preparation for the Australian Open.”

Alcaraz is a generational talent. In the infancy of his career, Alcaraz has reached a ranking of world No. 4, positioning himself in the company of legends Nadal and nine-time Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic.
Alcaraz is the youngest man to reach the last eight in New York in the Open era and was an outstanding victor in the ATP Tour Next Gen Championships in Italy last year.

Demonstrating his exceptional talent on all surfaces, the Spaniard claimed the Miami Masters on hard court in April and then the Madrid Masters just over one month later on clay.

The Kooyong Classic announced its eagerly awaited return to the Australian Summer of Tennis in June when revealing major sponsor CareA2+ would support the tournament for the next five years.

CareA2+ Kooyong Classic tournament director Peter Johnston said the signings of de Minaur and Alcaraz demonstrated the extent players missed the event during the pandemic.

“It’s massive for the event, after a 2-year break to have both “The Demon” and Carlos joining the tournament for the first time,” Johnston said.
“The Demon is on the threshold of achieving his highest career ranking.
“On the back of winning his sixth title the ATP Event in Atlanta in July, he is back in the Top 20 and with virtually no ranking points to defend, he is looking to finish the year in the Top 10.
“Meanwhile, at only 19 years of age, Alcaraz has had an incredible year already, reaching a ranking of world number 4 and winning four titles so far in Miami, Monte Carlo, Madrid and Barcelona.”

CareA2+ Director Kerry Hyland said the signing of de Minaur and Alcaraz, with more elite players set to commit to the Kooyong Classic in coming weeks, increased excitement surrounding the event.

“Great to see Alex and Carlos, two of the biggest stars of the game as the first players to sign for the 2023 event. We are delighted to welcome them and look forward to seeing them in action at Kooyong in our first year as the title sponsor”.

Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club president Adam Cossar added “Kooyong is very much looking forward to the return of the 2023 CareA2+ Kooyong Classic.

The new facilities at the Club will add another dimension to the event and we look forward to welcoming some of the world’s best players in January”

PLAYER BIOS
Alex de Minaur (Australia)
Age: 23 Australian No.1 and Davis Cup leader World No. 18 6 ATP Tour career titles including the Atlanta Open in July, 2022

Carlos Alcaraz (Spain)
Age: 19 World No. 4. Sits second in the ATP Tour Race to Turin in 2022. Dual Grand Slam Quarterfinalist (US Open 2021, French Open 2022) Dual Masters Champion (Miami, Madrid 2022) 5 ATP Tour career titles
The 2023 CareA2+Kooyong Classic will be broadcast live nationally and streamed online on SBS from 1 pm to 6 pm on each day of the event and distributed Internationally through Media Pro Asia.

 

2023 CareA2+ KOOYONG CLASSIC
WHEN: Tuesday, January 10, 2023, to Thursday, January 12, 2023
WHERE: Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club – 489 Glenferrie Rd, Kooyong VIC 3144
TICKETS: Ticket on-sale dates will be available soon. Meanwhile, Corporate Box packages are available and can be purchased by contacting the Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club: [email protected]