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Brisbane International wants you to know many WTA Grand Slam winners are in the draw

The event's official X account posted a group picture of the WTA Grand Slam champions in the draw, and you will be shocked at how many there are.

By Wendi Oliveros

Chris Hyde/GettyImages
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It is the beginning of the 2024 tennis season, and Brisbane International wants fans to know that they are suffering from an embarrassment of riches on the WTA side in the form of Grand Slam champions in the draw.

With tournaments all over Australia in preparation for the 2024 Australian Open beginning on January 14, 2024, it is not automatic that everyone will be getting some warm-up play in Brisbane. There are also the United Cup and the ASB Classic tournaments.

The irony of the Brisbane group picture is that it does not even include every Grand Slam champion in the draw. One notable person is missing, 2022 Wimbledon Champion Elena Rybakina.

Who is pictured in the Brisbane International photo?

In a who's who of WTA tennis glory from 2017 forward, the picture includes Jelena Ostapenko, Victoria Azarenka, Aryna Sabalenka, Naomi Osaka, Sofia Kenin, and Sloane Stephens.

Brisbane is back on the calendar after cancellations in 2021, 2022, and 2023 because of the COVID-19 epidemic. Seven WTA Grand Slam champions in the WTA 500 singles draw is an excellent way of putting Brisbane back on the tennis map.

A lot has changed since January 2020 when the last tournament was played, and Karolina Pliskova was crowned the women's champion for the third time. Kenin, Sabalenka, and Rybakina won maiden Grand Slam titles since then, and Osaka won two more Grand Slams (2020 US Open and 2021 Australian Open) and had a baby.

This picture further demonstrates how competitive women's tennis is right now. The landscape is full of former Grand Slam champions and players who could win a maiden Grand Slam championship at any time. It is the opposite of the ATP with a few dominant players.

Will one of these players win the Australian Open next month? Or a different Grand Slam later in the year? We will have to wait and see, but in the meantime, tune in to Brisbane, the United Cup, and the ASB Classic to kick off the exciting year ahead.

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