Canadian superstar Eugenie Bouchard has been confirmed to appear at January's ASB Classic in Auckland.
A former Wimbledon finalist and world number five, Bouchard is one of women's tennis' most high-profile players, and is eager to kick off her season in Aotearoa.
"I am really excited to be coming back to Auckland," said Bouchard. "I came there when I was very young and remember it being so beautiful.
"I'll be focussed and ready to go, but I hope to see a little more of Auckland this time around.
"I felt really strong in my last couple of tournaments and it was nice to reach a semi-final at the highest level again. I know how to be a top ten player and I feel like I’m doing all the right things to reach my goals in 2019."
Tournament director Karl Budge said Bouchard's addition rounds out a star-studded field, which also includes Caroline Wozniacki, Victoria Azarenka, and Venus Williams.
"Genie is the icing on the cake of what is going to be an incredible women’s field this year," said Budge.
"Three former world number one’s, three Grand Slam champions, our defending champion, the Olympic Gold Medallist and now one of the biggest names in the sport - it is going to be huge."
Newshub.
