Djokovic, Medvedev among four top 10 players to headline Adelaide International

A year after being controversially deported out of Australia and barred from defending his Australian Open title, 21-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic will return to the country and kick start his 2023 season at the Adelaide International ATP 250 event.

Djokovic, now ranked No 5 in the world, is one of four top 10 players in the draw along with Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime and Russians Daniil Medvedev and Andrey Rublev.

Paris Masters winner Holger Rune, Italy’s Jannik Sinner, Denis Shapovalov, who was part of Canada’s Davis Cup winning team alongside Auger-Aliassime, and Russia’s Kaern Khachanov round out the top 8 seeds in the draw.

Former world No 1 Andy Murray and rising British star Jack Draper are also in the men’s field.

Jabeur, Sabalenka join Djokovic and others for Adelaide International

Meanwhile, Ons Jabeur, of Tunisia, headlines the first women’s WTA 5000 event in Adelaide. The world no 2 is one of four top 10 players in the draw, alongside fifth-ranked Aryna Sabalenka, eighth-ranked Daria Kasatkina, and ninth-ranked Veronika Kudermetova.

Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina, former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko and former world No 1s Victoria Azarenka and Karolina Pliskova, reunited with former coach Sascha Bajin, are also in the draw.

Both events will start on January 2nd, the first week of the 2023 tennis calendar.