Daria Saville aims for glory as she earns wildcard entry into Hobart International 2025

Australian women’s tennis star Daria Saville ready for another shot at WTA success with Hobart tournament wildcard entry - what she said.

January 23: Daria Saville (AUS) in the studio at the 2024 Australian Open on Tuesday, January 23, 2024. Photo by TENNIS AUSTRALIA/ SCOTT BARBOUR

Olympian and Australian tennis star Daria Saville has been gifted a wildcard entry into the Hobart International next month hoping she can win her second WTA tournament after being stopped in the semis here last summer.

A crowd favourite and former world top 20, Saville was “so excited” to be back for the 30th edition of the WTA event and full of confidence for a strong start to the year.

Saville, 30, of Melbourne, won her first WTA Tour title at the Connecticut Open in 2017, defeating Slovakian Dominika Cibulková in three sets

NEW HAVEN, CT - AUGUST 26: Daria Gavrilova of Australia celebrates with the winners trophy after defeating Dominika Cibulkova of Slovakia to win the Connecticut Open at Connecticut Tennis Center at Yale on August 26, 2017 in New Haven, Connecticut. Maddie Meyer/Getty Images/AFP == FOR NEWSPAPERS, INTERNET, TELCOS & TELEVISION USE ONLY ==

Currently ranked outside the world top 100, she hopes to bring the form that saw her beat Tunisian superstar Ons Jabeur, a three-time Grand Slam finalist, at Indian Wells in 2022.

“I can’t wait to play in front of this incredible crowd in Hobart,” Saville said.

“I had the best support last year, so I really hope that this time around it’s going to be as fun.”

Hobart tournament director Darren Sturgess was delighted to add another top name to his list of top-shelf International women’s players.

“Daria stormed through to the semi-finals of the 2024 Hobart International and we can’t wait to see how far she goes this year,” Sturgess said.

“With one tour title under her belt, being a five-time tournament finalist, an Olympian, an

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - AUGUST 27: Daria Saville of Australia reacts against Ena Shibahara of Japan during their Women's Singles First Round match on Day Two of the 2024 US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on August 27, 2024 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. Al Bello/Getty Images/AFP (Photo by AL BELLO / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)

Australian team player in the Billie Jean King Cup this year, Daria is an Australian fan favourite who brings a lot of fun and energy to the Hobart International.”

Saville joins the likes of two-time champion and 2024 finalist, Elise Mertens (Belgium), world No. 34 and Australian Open 2024 semifinalist, Dayana Yastremska (Ukriane), world No. 36 Amanda Anisimova (USA), Grand Slam champion and former world No. 3 Sloane Stephens (USA), world No. 52 Elisabetta Cocciaretto (Italy) and world No. 38 Magda Linette (Poland).

Sturgess has secured nine current top-50 players, including Lulu Sun (world No. 40, New Zealand), who made her breakthrough earlier this year to reach the quarterfinals at Wimbledon.

She is joined by rising stars Elina Avanesyan (world 43, Armenia), Rebecca Sramkova (world 46, Slovakia), Yue Yuan (world 49, China) and Clara Tauson (world 50, Denmark).

“Fans will be able to see 32 of the world’s best players and 16 of the best doubles teams over 10 sessions [day and night] during the main draw,” Sturgess said.

The Hobart International starts at the Domain Tennis Centre on January 5.