World No.1 Serena Williams (USA)and defending champion Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA)are set to play Hopman Cup 2015, joining Andy Murray (GBR), Nick Kyrgios (AUS), Casey Dellacqua (AUS) and Eugenie Bouchard (CAN) in an all-star line-up in January.
In total, nine current top 20 players, including three top-ten women, will start the season in Western Australia.
The field boasts two Grand Slam champions with 20 titles between them, five Grand Slam singles finalists and the highest average female ranking for the event in two decades.
Williams, who holds 18 Grand Slam singles titles, will attempt to become the event’s first three-time winner when she partners with recent Wimbledon doubles champion 22-year-old Jack Sock for the United States.
“I’m really looking forward to heading back to Perth and the Hopman Cup. It’s been such a long time since I’ve been there. I’ve had a great time there and it’s always been a great warm up for me,” said Williams, who won the event in 2003 with James Blake and in 2008 with Mardy Fish.
“I love being part of a team because in tennis it’s all about you but at the Hopman Cup there’s an opportunity to be a team, play for your country and try and take everything home…”
When Williams returns to Perth this summer she hopes to get out and about.
“I really like going to the zoo…. You know in America we don’t have some of the animals that you guys have in Australia. I love going to the pool and hanging out, I love the city [Perth], it’s just so fun,” added Williams.
Throughout her career Williams has won a staggering 63 singles and 22 doubles titles, four Olympic gold medals and holds the record with Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova for the second most Grand Slam titles,only surpassed by Steffi Graf with 22 in the Open era.
Defending champions Tsonga and Alize Cornet of France will be Hopman Cup 2015’s top seeds as they attempt to become the first pair to win the Hopman Cup in consecutive years.
Popular world No.12 Tsonga will return to Perth for the third time.
“I have a really good welcome from everyone at this event. The win last year with Alize was great…,” said Tsonga, who will also represent his country at the Davis Cup final against Switzerland in November.
“I have great memories from Hopman Cup. Amazing memories, the victory at the end, the crowd was amazing,” Alize Cornet added.
“The arena is great. The ambience was amazing. I think that’s the memory I keep the most in mind. We had fans from all over the world supporting every team.
“The gold racquet [trophy] that I won last year at Hopman Cup is in my room where everybody can see it. For me it is so precious. It reminds me of the great time I had in Perth…,” Cornet continued.
Team Poland returns with world No.6 and Australian Open semifinalist Agnieszka Radwanska, pairing up with Poland’s top male player Jerzy Janowicz who unfortunately withdrew this year due to injury. The Poles will be looking to go one better at next year’s event having fallen to France 2-1 in the 2014 final.
Top 20 duo, world No.18 Flavia Pennetta and world No.16 Fabio Fognini will represent Italy.
Pennetta’s stellar year has seen her reach the Australian Open quarterfinals and win her tenth singles title in Indian Wells. Fognini continues to climb the rankings, becoming the first Italian player to finish in the top 20 since 1978.
Czech veteran and former world No.8 Radek Stepanek will also return to Perth. Stepanek who finished in the top 50 for the tenth time in 11 years in 2013, will team up with world No.15 Lucie Safarova for the Czech Republic.
Safarova is enjoying some career best form. This year alone she has reached the semifinals at Wimbledon, fourth round at the US Open, Roland Garros and third round at the Australian Open.
“We’ll have nine of the current top 20 players including three current top ten players and world No.1 Serena Williams in Perth in January,” said Paul Kilderry, Tournament Director.
“Serena has just won her sixth US Open title and is one of the most successful players in the history of the game. We are thrilled to welcome her to Perth.
“We also look forward to welcoming back defending champions Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Alize Cornet, along with Eugenie Bouchard, Radwanska, Pennetta and Stepanek.
“They’ll be joined by former Wimbledon champion Andy Murray, Heather Watson and of course Nick Kyrgios and Casey Dellacqua representing Australia.
“We are very excited to introduce the new $10 children’s ticket for all sessions for 2015 and encourage families and kids to dress up in their favourite country’s colours and support a team at the Hopman Cup, it will be a lot of fun,” Kilderry said.
ITF President Francesco Ricci Bitti is also looking forward to another promising Hopman Cup.
“The 2015 edition of the Hopman Cup promises to be one of the most exciting in history. The field is outstanding, led by Serena Williams of the United States, Andy Murray of Great Britain and the defending champions, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Alize Cornet of France,” Ricci Bitti said.
“Once again the fans in Perth will kick off the season watching great teams compete for the coveted Hopman Cup title.”
Hopman Cup is the official mixed teams’ competition of the ITF and will take place at Perth Arena from Sunday 4 to Saturday 10 January 2015.
The State Government, through Tourism WA, is proud to be a founding sponsor of the Hopman Cup. The State Government has signed a new three-year sponsorship deal for the event which includes an option for a further five years, securing the Hopman Cup for WA until 2022.
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