Sydney Tennis Classic 2022 : Draw, schedule, players, prize money and where to watch

Sydney will play host to the best of the WTA as they battle for supremacy at the Sydney Tennis Classic, which begins on Monday. The tournament returns to the WTA calendar after a two-year hiatus due to a combination of the newly formed ATP Cup and the COVID-19 pandemic.

The field is headlined by World No. 1 Ashleigh Barty, twice a finalist here, along with Grand Slam champions Garbine Muguruza and Barbora Krejcikova.

Here's everything you need to know about the 2022 edition of the Sydney Tennis Classic.

What is Sydney Tennis Classic

The Sydney Tennis Classic is one of the oldest tennis tournaments in the world dating back to 1885. It is a WTA Premier event and is held every January in the lead up to the Australian Open.

The Sydney Tennis Classic, a WTA 500 event, is the final tournament for players to fine-tune their game ahead of the Australian Open.

Venue

The Sydney Tennis Classic will be played at the Sydney Olympic Park Tennis Center in Sydney Olympic Park. The main show court, the Ken Rosewall Arena, has a seating capacity of 10,500.

Players

Garbine Muguruza poses with the Billie Jean King Trophy at the 2021 WTA Finals - Day 8

Ashleigh Barty and Garbine Muguruza are the top two seeds for the week. World No. 1 Ashleigh Barty leads the pack and will look to get her hands on the trophy for the first time. World No. 3 Garbine Muguruza, Roland Garros champion Barbora Krejcikova and Estonian Anett Kontaveit will likely be Barty's biggest threats.

The draw also features defending champion and World No. 17 Petra Kvitova along with reigning US Open champion Emma Raducanu.

Schedule

The tournament is scheduled to take place from 10-15 January. The top two seeds have been given a first-round bye and will begin their respective campaigns in the last 16.

No. 3 seed Barbora Krejcikova kicks off her campaign against Olympic gold medalist Belinda Bencic while Anett Kontaveit, the No. 4 seed will face Shuai Zhang of China. No. 5 seed Paula Badosa of Spain faces a tricky opener against former Roland Garros champion Jelena Ostapenko. US Open champion Emma Raducanu will take on No. 9 seed Elena Rybakina for a place in the Round of 16.

Order of Play

Monday, January 10, 2022

Anett Kontaveit (4) vs Shuai Zhang

Petra Kvitova vs Arantxa Rus

Astra Sharma (WC) vs Ons Jabeur

Belinda Bencic vs Barbora Krejcikova (3)

Sofia Kenin (8) vs Daria Kasatkina

Emma Raducanu vs Elena Rybakina (9)

Prize Money

The women's champion will take home $108,000 in prize money. The total prize pool is $703,580.

Where to watch

The Sydney Tennis Classic will be telecast live in the UK on Prime Video. In the US, the tournament will be broadcast live on the Tennis Channel. The tournament will be telecast on TVA Sports, DAZN and TSN in Canada and on beIN in Australia.

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