Tournament won by Roger Federer returns to Australian calendar

A tournament that has previously been won by the likes of Roger Federer and Serena Williams is returning to the summer of tennis calendar.

Roger Federer celebrates winning the Brisbane International in 2015. Picture: AAP Image/Dave Hunt

Tennis legends Ash Barty and Pat Rafter have hailed the resurrection of the Covid-crushed Brisbane International, which will be played for the first time since 2020 in the build-up to next year’s Australian Open.

Starting at the Queensland Tennis Centre on December 31, the $3.1 million event will revert to its original format of having tournaments for women and men, who haven’t played for the BI crown since 2019.

Established in 2009, the tournament featured the likes of legends Serena Williams and Roger Federer before being dropped from the men’s ATP tour during the Covid-19 era.

Serena Williams (left) celebrates her Brisbane International win 2014 alongside beaten finalist Victoria Azarenka. Picture: AAP Image/Dave Hunt

The last women’s tournament, held in 2020, was won by Karolina Plishkova, with the men’s section discontinued a year earlier after Japan’s Kei Nishikori beat Daniil Medvedev in the final.

Brisbane hosted the United Cup in January featuring nations such as Italy and Poland, but the overwhelming feedback from local fans was that the BI was a superior product.

That feedback helped officials push for the reinstatement of the tournament.

“It’s exciting for the Brisbane International to be back (in) the very first week of the (2024) calendar,” said retired former world No.1 and proud Queenslander Ash Barty on Friday at the QTC’s centre court, Pat Rafter Arena.

“This is a great court. For me it was a court filled with so many happy memories of coming back and training here, and learning my craft on this court.

“The players love to come here, (and) they love to come to Brisbane. They love the atmosphere of this crowd.”

Former world No.1 Rafter lamented that the BI wasn’t part of the ATP schedule during his playing days.

“I remember talking to a lot of fans who came here, and they really loved the event how it used to be having the men and women,” the Queenslander and two-time US Open champion said.

“It really makes the whole Brisbane centre really work. Brisbane has a really great climate to get ready for the Aussie Open as well.

“It’s a great stop, and it would have been a great stop if this was available when I played. Unfortunately, it wasn’t.”

The outstanding honour roll of BI champions includes Federer, Andy Roddick, Andy Murray, Lleyton Hewitt, Federer and Nick Kyrgios in the men, and Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova, Victoria Azarenka and Kim Clijsters in the women.

The mixed-team United Cup will remain part of the Australian summer of tennis schedule, but will only be played in Sydney and Perth in the same week as the BI.

BI tournament director Cam Pearson said the best players in the world would come to Queensland despite the United Cup being played at the same time.

“We saw (earlier this) year there was a really good spread of players across both the United Cup and the week one event that was played in Adelaide last (summer) and that’ll be the sane again (next) year,” Pearson said.

Tournaments in Adelaide and Hobart will take place the week after the BI and ahead of the Australian Open in Melbourne.