Live tennis is back on Sky Sports in 2024 with Rafael Nadal, Naomi Osaka, Andy Murray and Emma Raducanu just some of the big names in action during the first week of January.
In a year when the Novak Djokovic-Carlos Alcaraz rivalry is set to continue, alongside the ever-exciting WTA tour where Iga Swiatek leads the field, the new season promises to deliver plenty of drama.
As part of a new five-year deal, Sky Sports will show coverage of WTA and ATP 250, 500 and 1000 events (excluding domestic events), plus the US Open and season-ending finals.
The first live coverage actually all begins in the early hours of New Year’s Eve before two weeks of intense action in Asia and Oceania ahead of the Australian Open in mid-January.
Nadal begins comeback and Murray’s first 2024 appearance in Brisbane
Earlier in 2023, Nadal revealed the upcoming season will “probably be my last year in the professional tour” so fans from all around the world will be desperate to potentially see the Spaniard for a final time.
The 22-time Grand Slam champion has not played since losing in the second round of the Australian Open at the start of this year and underwent surgery on his hip in the summer.
He makes his eagerly-anticipated return at the Brisbane International, which begins on December 31 live on Sky Sports, as a wild card so could face a top name in the opening round.
His coach Carlos Moya says Nadal is training “very well” but is concerned about his fitness over longer matches. A decent run in Brisbane will be a big boost for the 37-year-old and it will be fascinating to see how he fares after nearly 12 months out.
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Murray is also in the draw after a mixed 2023 which included three challenger tournament wins but some frustrating Grand Slam exits.
At the age of 36, Murray is also in the latter stages of his career but still believes he can win on the ATP Tour.
“It’s great to see the Brisbane International back and I am really looking forward to returning to Queensland this summer,” he said.
“I have great memories of winning the title in 2012 and 2013 and I would love to lift the trophy again for a third time in Brisbane.”
Upcoming stars Holger Rune and Ben Shelton are also in action in the ATP 250 event, which has not featured on the calendar since 2019 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Sky Sports will show comprehensive live coverage of the big names in Brisbane on each day of competition.
Osaka is back as Sabalenka leads women’s Brisbane field
Another player coming back to tennis is Naomi Osaka after she missed last season due to the birth of her daughter Shai in July.
The four-time Grand Slam champion was often the player to beat on hard courts before mental health issues in 2021.
She’s a two-time winner at the Australian Open and received a wild card for the Brisbane International, so may face Aryna Sabalenka or Elena Rybakina in the early stages of the tournament.
Sabalenka beat Rybakina in the final of the 2023 Australian Open and both players went on to have strong campaigns, regularly challenging world No 1 Iga Swiatek.
Former major champions Victoria Azarenka and Jelena Ostapenko are also in the field at the WTA 500 event – live on Sky Sports alongside the men’s tournament.
Gauff and Raducanu headline Auckland Classic
Coco Gauff gave us one of the sporting highlights when she won the US Open in front of her home crowd to win her first major.
The teenager has been a sensation on the WTA tour since upsetting Venus Williams as a 15-year-old at Wimbledon in 2019 and is looking for more success in 2024.
She will be the top seed at the Auckland Classic, which starts on Monday, January 1 with Ukrainian Elina Svitolina another name to watch out for.
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Britain’s Emma Raducanu is also back in action after eight months out from the sport following multiple surgeries with Sky Sports set to show her return.
Raducanu has not played since the Stuttgart Open in April and also begins the new season without a coach after parting ways with Sebastian Sachs, her fifth coach in the last two years.
The 20-year-old has been given a wild card for the Auckland Classic, as has Caroline Wozniacki, who made a surprise return to tennis in August.
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Wozniacki, who lost to Gauff in the fourth round of the US Open as part of her comeback, initially retired at the start of 2020.
She decided to miss the remainder of the season but is back for Auckland and could be a dark horse, given her impressive performances in the summer.
Hong Kong Open back on the calendar
It’s not just players that are making comebacks, it’s tournaments too. The Hong Kong Open last appeared on the schedule in 2002 and runs from January 1-7.
World No 5 Andrey Rublev is the biggest name in the draw, with Frances Tiafoe, Karen Khachanov and Christopher Eubanks some of the other notable players competing in Hong Kong.
The final will be live on Sky Sports on Sunday January 7.
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Source : Sky Sports
