Aryna Sabalenka: A Fierce Challenger Gears Up for Australian Open Defense with Brisbane Warm-up

On Tuesday, organisers announced that Aryna Sabalenka would begin her preparations for defending her Australian Open crown at the Brisbane International.

Rybakina, who was beaten by Sabalenka in the final in Melbourne earlier this year, will also play in Brisbane from December 31 to January 7.

As she returns to tennis, Naomi Osaka, a four-time Grand Slam champion, has already been named in the field.

The tournament director, Cam Pearson, said he was looking forward to welcoming the Belarusian Sabalenka and the fourth-ranked Kazakh Rybakina.

“I’m excited about starting my 2024 Australian season in Brisbane,” world number two Sabalenka said in a statement released by organisers.

“Australia holds a special place in my heart after winning my first Grand Slam there.”

“We all remember the exciting Australian Open final the girls played at the start of the year,” he told a news conference.

“That has really kicked off what is a pretty exciting rivalry between the two players.”