The Brisbane International tournament, taking place in the beginning of the season, will be more significant as of 2012, as the WTA awarded it a Premier level status. The aim of this move is to strengthen the start of the tennis year by attracting more big names to the event whose prize money will increase from the current $220,000 to $655,000 in 2012, and it will sore further to $1,000,000 from 2013.
The more valuable Brisbane tournament, being held at the state-of-the-art Queensland Tennis Centre since 2009, will start January 2, 2012. The following players have won the title in Brisbane so far: Victoria Azarenka, Kim Clijsters and Petra Kvitova.
Additional info: the WTA has also announced interesting stats backing up the success of the new Roadmap unveiled in 2009. Maybe we have a feeling that everyone is injured, but the WTA’s data tells a different story:
– 15% increase in top player participation at the WTA’s Premier events
– 46% decrease in player withdrawals (photo: twenty90seven, source: WTA Tour)