We have glorious news as Naomi Osaka, Serena Williams, Bianca Vanessa Andreescu and Ashleigh Barty will be back to competitions in Australia right before the first slam of the year. The 4 champions have agreed of being part of the strong entry list of the players that will take part in the 2 WTA500 that will precede the Australian Open.
How the tournaments will be organized
There will be 2 WTA500 from the 1st of February to allow the players to get a warm-up for the Australian Open. The first 32 seeds (see entry list below) will be divided between the 2 tournaments. The other players will be drawn and then assigned to either tournament. The only top player that is missing is Kiki Bertens that is recovering after surgery to her Achilles.
Here he full entry list.
1. ASHLEIGH BARTY (AUS) 1 MD
2. SIMONA HALEP (ROU) 2 MD
3. NAOMI OSAKA (JPN) 3 MD
4. SOFIA KENIN (USA) 4 MD
5. ELINA SVITOLINA (UKR) 5 MD
6. KAROLINA PLISKOVA (C2E) 6 MD
7. BIANCA ANDREESCU (CAN) 7 MD
8. PETRA KVITOVA (C2E) 8 MD
9. ARYNA SABALENKA (BLR) 10 MD
10. SERENA WILLIAMS (USA) 11 MD
11. BELINDA BENCIC (SUI) 12 MD
12. VICTORIA A2ARENKA (BLR) 13 MD
13. JOHANNA KONTA (GBR) 14 MD
14. GARBINE MUGURU2A (ESP) 15 MD
15. MADISON KEYS (USA) 16 MD
16. IGA SWIATEK (POL) 17 MD
17. PETRA MARTIC (CRO) 18 MD
18. ELENA RYBAKINA (KA2) 19 MD
19. ELISE MERTENS (BEL) 20 MD
20. MARKETA VONDROUSOVA (C2E) 21 MD
21. MARIA SAKKARI (GRE) 22 MD
22. ANETT KONTAVEIT (EST) 23 MD
23. JENNIFER BRADY (USA) 24 MD
24. ANGELIQUE KERBER (GER) 25 MD
25. ALISON RISKE (USA) 26 MD
26. KAROLINA MUCHOVA (C2E) 27 MD
27. YULIA PUTINTSEVA (KA2) 28 MD
28. DAYANA YASTREMSKA (UKR) 29 MD
29. AMANDA ANISIMOVA (USA) 30 MD
30. ONS JABEUR (TUN) 31 MD
31. DONNA VEKIC (CRO) 32 MD
32. EKATERINA ALEXANDROVA (RUS) 33 MD
33. QIANG WANG (CHN) 34 MD
34. SHUAI ZHANG (CHN) 35 MD
35. SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA (RUS) 36 MD
36. BARBORA STRYCOVA (CZE) 37 MD
37. ANASTASIA PAVLYUCHENKOVA (RUS) 38 MD
38. SLOANE STEPHENS (USA) 39 MD
39. MAGDA LINETTE (POL) 40 MD
40. SAISAI ZHENG (CHN) 41 MD
41. FIONA FERRO (FRA) 42 MD
42. CAROLINE GARCIA (FRA) 43 MD
43. JELENA OSTAPENKO (LAT) 44 MD
44. DANIELLE COLLINS (USA) 45 MD
45. VERONIKA KUDERMETOVA (RUS) 46 MD
46. NADIA PODOROSKA (ARG) 47 MD
47. YAROSLAVA SHVEDOVA (KAZ) 47 SR MD
48. CORI GAUFF (USA) 48 MD
49. POLONA HERCOG (SLO) 49 MD
50. KRISTINA MLADENOVIC (FRA) 50 MD
51. LAURA SIEGEMUND (GER) 51 MD
52. MARIE BOUZKOVA (CZE) 52 MD
53. ALIZÉ CORNET (FRA) 53 MD
54. ANASTASIJA SEVASTOVA (LAT) 54 MD
55. REBECCA PETERSON (SWE) 55 MD
56. PATRICIA MARIA TIG (ROU) 56 MD
57. JIL TEICHMANN (SUI) 57 MD
58. HEATHER WATSON (GBR) 58 MD
59. KATERINA SINIAKOVA (CZE) 59 MD
60. SHELBY ROGERS (USA) 60 MD
61. ANNA BLINKOVA (RUS) 61 MD
62. BERNARDA PERA (USA) 62 MD
63. JESSICA PEGULA (USA) 63 MD
64. ALISON VAN UYTVANCK (BEL) 64 MD
65. BARBORA KREJCIKOVA (CZE) 65 MD
66. SARA SORRIBES TORMO (ESP) 66 MD
67. SU-WEI HSIEH (TPE) 67 MD
68. AJLA TOMLJANOVIC (AUS) 68 MD
69. KRISTYNA PLISKOVA (CZE) 69 MD
70. PAULA BADOSA (ESP) 70 MD
71. SORANA CIRSTEA (ROU) 71 MD
72. DARIA KASATKINA (RUS) 72 MD
73. NAO HIBINO (JPN) 73 MD
74. ARANTXA RUS (NED) 74 MD
75. LIN ZHU (CHN) 74 SR MD
76. LAUREN DAVIS (USA) 75 MD
77. CAMILA GIORGI (ITA) 76 MD
78. DANKA KOVINIC (MNE) 77 MD
79. IRINA-CAMELIA BEGU (ROU) 78 MD
80. YAFAN WANG (CHN) 78 SR MD
81. VERA ZVONAREVA (RUS) 78 SR MD
82. VENUS WILLIAMS (USA) 79 MD
83. ZARINA DIYAS (KAZ) 80 MD
84. CHRISTINA MCHALE (USA) 81 MD
85. MADISON BRENGLE (USA) 82 MD
86. MISAKI DOI (JPN) 83 MD
87. ANASTASIA POTAPOVA (RUS) 84 SR MD
88. MARTINA TREVISAN (ITA) 85 MD
89. KATIE BOULTER (GBR) 85 SR MD
90. KIRSTEN FLIPKENS (BEL) 86 MD
91. TAMARA ZIDANSEK (SLO) 87 MD
92. LEYLAH FERNANDEZ (CAN) 88 MD
Naomi Osaka in 2021
Ranked no.3, Naomi played her last match on the 12th of September 2020 when she overcame Victoria Azarenka 1-6 6-3 6-3 in the final of the U.S. Open to win her 6th career title.
Serena Williams in 2021
Now the world no.11, Serena Williams was supposed to play on the 30th of September 2020. However, she conceded a walk over to Tsvetana Pironkova in the 2nd round of the French Open (draw).
This year the American owns a compiled 0-0 match record.
Naomi Osaka and Serena Williams played each other 3 times. Their head to head is 2-1 for Osaka. Previously, the last time when they locked horns, Serena Williams won 6-3 6-4 in the quarter in Toronto (Rogers Cup) in August 2019.
In the following video you can watch the key moments of their match.
Bianca Vanessa Andreescu in 2021
Ranked no.7, Bianca played her last match on the 30th of October 2019 when she had to retire when playing against Karolina Pliskova in the round robin and the scoreline was 6-3 .
Ashleigh Barty in 2021
Now ranked no.1, the Australian played her last match on the 28th of February 2020 when she lost to Petra Kvitova 6-4 2-6 6-4 in the semifinal in Doha (draw).
Bianca Vanessa Andreescu and Ashleigh Barty have never played each other as of now on the main tour.
