Tennis Australia will back Ajla Tomljanovic to return to her best after handing her a wildcard for the Australian Open, along with 2014 men’s champion Stan Wawrinka.
Nine players were on Friday awarded wildcards across the men’s and women’s draws, with TA flagging there were more to come.
Wawrinka and Tomljanovic were joined by Daria Saville, Emerson Jones, Maya Joint, Talia Gibson, Tristan Schoolkate, Li Tu and James McCabe in receiving their tickets to the main draws.
Former Wimbledon and US Open quarter-finalist Tomljanovic and former world No.20 Saville are both trying to kickstart their careers after rough injury runs.
Saville had flagged potentially retiring after her first-round exit at the US Open, but will now look to launch her 2025 on home soil.
“I am incredibly motivated and working hard to make my way back inside the top 100 and back to my career high ranking of 20,” she said.
Ten years on from his Melbourne Park triumph, Wawrinka, now 39, reflected fondly on his breakthrough slam as he returns to the tournament after several injury-ravaged years.
The Swiss star peaked at world No.3 with that victory, and also won the 2015 French Open and 2016 US Open.
“I’m incredibly grateful to receive a wildcard into the Australian Open in 2025,” Wawrinka said.
“Melbourne holds such a special place in my heart – it’s where I won my first grand slam and is one of the greatest milestones of my career.
“The city, the people, the loud fans and the electric atmosphere make the Australian Open so special to me and I’m really looking forward to getting back on the court in Melbourne.”
Stan Wawrinka plays a backhand. (AP Photo/Pavel Golovkin)
Teen sensations Jones, 16, and Joint, 18, are in the main draw for the first time.
Jones reached the junior Australian Open and junior Wimbledon finals on her way to becoming the junior No.1.
“Our rising Australian players have delivered inspiring performances throughout the year, showing immense skill, determination and resilience,” Tennis Australia chief performance officer Tim Jolley said.
“There’s no better feeling than playing in Melbourne in front of all the Aussie fans.”
“It’s exciting to see their hard work and dedication rewarded with these opportunities to compete at the highest level.
“Ajla and Daria, in particular, have shown incredible courage and persistence in their comebacks from injury, and we’re thrilled to see them back on the big stage.
“At the same time, the next generation of talent is making waves and capturing the imagination of tennis fans everywhere.
“The Australian Open is the perfect platform for these players to showcase their talent, and we’re confident they’ll seize this opportunity to shine in front of their home crowd.”
© AAP
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