The Brisbane International will have more eyes on it than usual as Rafael Nadal makes a comeback to tennis in the ATP 250 event. The tournament’s main draw begins on December 31 with a decent payout for the taking. The men’s side has a collective prize purse of over $600,000.
Nadal announced returning to tennis after a year-long injury break at the Brisbane International. He used his Protected Ranking to gain direct entry into the main draw since his ATP rank had tumbled due to inactivity. This competition acts as a warm-up event for the 2024 Australian Open.
Other top names in the field include Holger Rune, Andy Murray, and Grigor Dimitrov. They will not make it easy for Nadal. However, the 22-time Grand Slam champion would hope to progress deep into the tournament and get into the groove before the AO. While the prize money is not huge, it is still a good incentive. The cumulative prize purse for the ATP 250 is $661,585, a 25.3% increase compared to when the tournament was last held in 2019.
Brisbane International organisers are yet to announce the exact price money breakdown. In 2019, champion Kei Nishikori received $90,990 from a total of $527,880. With a significantly increased sum this season, the winner can expect over $100,000 in prize money.
To get his hands on the amount, Nadal will have to navigate a tough path. Entering on a Protected Ranking means he would be unseeded and, hence could run into top seeds early on. Rune and Ben Shelton are unknown entities for the former World No.1, having never faced either. Additionally, the top four seeds will receive a bye into the second round. Nadal, meanwhile, will have to play the opening round as well. He could face old rivals Murray or Dimitrov in potentially exciting match-ups.
Rafael Nadal joined by Naomi Osaka in making a comeback at the Brisbane International
Rafael Nadal is not the only high-profile name making a comeback at the Brisbane International. Four-time Grand Slam winner Naomi Osaka will return to the court after having last featured in 2022. After missing events due to an injury, she later announced her pregnancy and skipped the entire 2023 on maternity leave. She entered the tournament as a wildcard.
With Iga Swiatek opting to sit out, Aryna Sabalenka will be the highest-ranked player in the field. Elena Rybakina follows her in a field that has numerous Majors winners like Victoria Azarenka, Sloane Stephens and Jelena Ostapenko. The WTA 500 event carries a prize money of $1,736,763, up nearly 20% from the tournament’s last edition in 2020.
2020 winner Karolina Pliskova, who defended her title, took home $266,000 for her victory from a pool of $1,458,900. Again, with the total prize money increasing sizeably, the 2023 champion would probably earn around $300,000. Like Nadal, Osaka also has a difficult path ahead of her to her hands on the prize money. The multiple Grand Slam winners, however, have immense pedigree and cannot be ruled out.
