The ITF announced today that the quad wheelchair tennis division is to be recognised in its annual list of ITF World Champions. The 2017 ITF World Champions will be announced in December, with the winners presented with their awards at the annual ITF World Champions Dinner held during Roland Garros in Paris on 5 June 2018.

The quad wheelchair world champion will join the men’s and women’s wheelchair world champions as recipients of this prestigious honour, which is awarded to the year-end No.1 ranked player in each division. The ITF also honours men’s and women’s singles and doubles world champions, alongside boys’ and girls’ junior world champions. 

Adelaide’s very own Thanasi Kokkinakis is set to make his homecoming for the World Tennis Challenge from 8 to 10 January 2018 at Memorial Drive. Kokkinakis will headline Team Australia alongside Mark Philippoussis (Vic), John Peers (Vic) and honorary Aussie Henri Kontinen (FIN).

The popular South Australian hit a career high ranking of 69 in 2015, but his rise was hampered by injury leaving him on the sidelines for almost all of 2016.

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.”