Six Grand Slam champions will headline the 2018 Brisbane International in what’s an incredibly exciting field for the tournament’s tenth event.

Grand Slam champions Rafael Nadal (ESP), Andy Murray (GBR), Garbine Muguruza (ESP), Sloane Stephens (USA), Petra Kvitova (CZE) and Sam Stosur (Qld) lead the superstar line up set to start their summer in Brisbane. 

Australia’s best wheelchair athletes, including Paralympians Adam Kellerman and Ben Weekes, will battle it out at the National Wheelchair Tennis Championships starting tomorrow Friday 17 to Sunday 19 November.

The tournament will take place at the National Tennis Centre in Melbourne and will host all four wheelchair divisions including women’s, men’s, quad and junior events. 

Poland’s Lukasz Kubot and Brazil’s Marcelo Melo have clinched the year-end No. 1 Emirates ATP Doubles Team Ranking for the first time by beating Ivan Dodig and Marcel Granollers in their first match at the Nitto ATP Finals, the season finale held at The O2 in London today.

"I am speechless right now," said Kubot. "I didn't expect that moment. Especially now after this match, but it happened. I am extremely thankful to our coaches and physios, everyone who brought the best out of us."

Former Brisbane International champion Milos Raonic (CAN) and 2017 finalist Kei Nishikori (JPN) are both set to return to the Brisbane International in 2018. Raonic, the former world No.3 who defeated Roger Federer (SUI) in the 2016 Brisbane final, is heading back to the tournament for the fourth time.

“It’s been a tournament I’ve always played well at and felt good about my game, so that definitely adds to the appeal of coming back year after year,” Raonic said. “As far as the tennis goes the conditions are ideal for preparing leading into Melbourne and the whole Australian swing I think it’s the best way to start off alongside the best players in the world.” 

World No.15 Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova will replace world No.12 Svetlana Kuznetsova for Team Russia at the Mastercard Hopman Cup in 2018. Kuznetsova has withdrawn from the tournament but is still hopeful she will be fit enough to start her season in Australia.

“I’ve had a procedure on my left wrist and have withdrawn from the Mastercard Hopman Cup as a precaution,” Kuznetsova said. “I am recovering very well and I should be completely ok. I hope to be ready to go for the rest of the Australian summer. I’ll be watching the Hopman Cup on TV and will be cheering Anastasia and Karen on when they take to the court in Perth.” 

David Goffin has become the first Belgian singles player in the 48-year history of the Nitto ATP Finals to qualify for the prestigious season finale. He will join World No. 1 Rafael Nadal, six-time champion Roger Federer, debutants Alexander Zverev and Grigor Dimitrov, and former qualifiers Dominic Thiem and Marin Cilic in the elite eight-man field at The O2 in London from 12-19 November.

Goffin is the seventh player to secure his place as a result of play at the Rolex Paris Masters on Thursday. He served as an alternate at 2016 Nitto ATP Finals, replacing the injured Gael Monfils in one round-robin match (l. to Djokovic).