WTA Announces Upgrade of Brisbane Tournament to Premier Level

Written by: Staff on 19th May 2011

WTA Announces Upgrade of Brisbane Tournament to Premier Level

Russian tennis player Vera Zvonareva returns the ball to Romania's Alexandra Dulgheru during their quarter final match at the WTA Brussels Open tennis tournament at the Royal Primrose TC in Brussels, Belgium, 19 May 2011. Zvonareva won 6-0 and 6-1. EPA/VIRGINIE LEFOUR BELGIUM OUT |

The WTA (Women’s Tennis Association) announced today that the Brisbane International will be upgraded to Premier level status beginning in 2012, strengthening the start of the women’s tennis season. The upgraded event, to take place the week of January 2 in 2012, will feature an enhanced array of top WTA stars, and increased prize money of US$655,000 in 2012 and US$1,000,000 from 2013. Along with longstanding successful season starting events, the ASB Classic in Auckland, the Medibank International in Sydney and the Moorilla Hobart International, the beginning of the women’s tennis calendar in the lead-up to the year’s first Grand Slam promises to reach new heights of competition and entertainment.

The upgrading of the Brisbane event to Premier status represents the realization of a key original component of the WTA’s “Roadmap” to strengthen the women’s tennis calendar for fans and players, particularly at the start of the women’s tennis season. Designed to ensure that fans of women’s tennis are able to see their favorite stars on a more consistent basis and that players are able to stay healthier, since being unveiled in 2009 the Roadmap has resulted in a 15% increase in top player participation at the WTA’s Premier events, a 46% decrease in player withdrawals, and a 36% increase in prize money, all of which has driven the continued growth of the sport.

“For fans and players, the kickoff to the WTA season will be more exciting than ever with Brisbane becoming a Premier level event,” said Stacey Allaster, Chairman & CEO of the WTA. “Tennis Australia and the Queensland government have once again shown their incredible support for women’s tennis with this major commitment to promote and grow women’s tennis in Australia and Brisbane, and to optimize the opportunities for our players to prepare for the Australian Open in a world class facility and ideal location.”

The state-of-the-art Queensland Tennis Centre at Tennyson in Brisbane, where the Brisbane tournament is held, was officially opened on January 2, 2009 and was the result of an AUS$82 million investment.