NEWS
Former Kooyong champion Donna Vekić (CRO) and former World No. 5 Daniela Hantuchová (SVK) headline the women’s field, with Learner Tien (USA), former World No. 6 Hubert Hurkacz (POL), and Zhang Zhizhen (CHN) joining the men’s lineup.
Vekić, the 2023 Kooyong Classic champion and former World No. 17, returns after a strong 2025 season highlighted by a quarterfinal at the Chennai Open. Hantuchová, one of tennis’s most admired figures, will make a special guest appearance - her first at Kooyong since retirement - bringing with her seven WTA titles, a Career Grand Slam in Mixed Doubles, and more than 550 career wins.
On the men’s side, 19-year-old American Learner Tien continues his meteoric rise, breaking into the world’s top 30 after claiming his first ATP title at the 2025 Moselle Open, reaching the Australian Open Round of 16, and finishing runner-up at the China Open. He joins Hubert Hurkacz, who made a strong return to form in 2025 with a finals appearance at the Geneva Open (vs Novak Djokovic) and a quarterfinal at the Italian Open. Rounding out the field is Zhang Zhizhen, China’s No.1 player and former World No.31, strengthening Kooyong’s growing international representation.
In recent news for confirmed 2026 Kooyong Classic players, Lorenzo Musetti (ITA) reached the final of the Athens ATP event against Novak Djokovic, and with Djokovic withdrawing from the ATP Finals, Musetti has now secured his place in the year-end championships. Learner Tien (USA) made history in Metz, claiming his first ATP title and becoming the first American teenager to win an ATP title in more than 20 years, propelling him inside the world’s top 30. Meanwhile, Alexander Bublik (KAZ) has surged to a career-high ranking of World No. 11 and will serve as the first alternate at the ATP Finals, continuing his 2025 success.
Holger Rune (DEN) will no longer play the 2026 Kooyong Classic following a recent Achilles injury. Kei Nishikori (JAP) will also no longer play.
With former champions, Grand Slam contenders, and next-generation stars locked in, the 2026 Kooyong Classic is shaping as one of the most competitive and exciting fields in recent years.
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