Murray’s presence only adds to the quality of competition scheduled to appear in Melbourne’s south-east, with current world number one Carlos Alcaraz and Alex de Minaur among those in contention.
A two-time Wimbledon champion, Murray returns to Australia having overcome a career-threatening hip injury and with a view to improve upon his preparations for the upcoming Australian Open.
Kooyong Classic tournament director Peter Johnston was delighted to secure Murray’s signature ahead of the Grand Slam and backed the Scotsman to continue his rise up the rankings this month.
“He is as hungry as he ever has been to win slams, and the Care A2+ Kooyong Classic is, to my view, an ideal spot for him to finalise his preparations for the Australian Open,” Johnston said.
“He needs to pace himself to be absolutely ripe for that major, so the two matches at Kooyong, where he is playing some of the world’s best players, seems perfect for him.
“We have seen over the past 12 months, as he has rebuilt his ranking after undergoing major hip surgery, that he retains all the fight and passion that has made him a great.”
A member of the famous 'Big Four' alongside Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, Murray is no stranger to success on Australian soil, where he has reached the Australian Open final five times between 2010 to 2016.
Federer (2010) and Djokovic (2012, ’13, ’15, ’16) each denied the 35-year-old back then, and the level of talent in Kooyong will only enhance his play as the first round approaches.
Alcaraz and de Minaur will join Murray at the revamped Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club, as will Jannik Sinner, Taylor Fritz, Borna Coric, Marin Cilic, Grigor Dimitrov and Yoshihito Nishioka.
The star-studded line-up is one that comes as no surprise to Johnston, who views the boutique event as the perfect warm-up for what’s to come in Melbourne.
“These guys are choosing to play in the Care A2+ Kooyong Classic for good reason,” he added.
“All of them consider themselves potential Grand Slam winners and want to go as far as they can at the Australian Open and playing at Kooyong can help them achieve that goal.”
SBS and SBS On Demand will air all three days of the iconic tournament, with coverage commencing on January 10 from 11am (AEDT).
