Defending champion to return to ASB Classic
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Ukrainian tennis player Elina Svitolina, has confirmed she will defend her title at the 2027 ASB Classic in Auckland.
The world’s ninth-ranked WTA player is the first to confirm her appearance at the 4-10 January tournament.
Svitolina won the first of her two titles this year with a straight-sets victory over China’s Wang Xinyu in January’s ASB Classic final. She also won the Italian Open in Rome over world No 3 and two-time ASB Classic winner, Coco Gauff.
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The 31-year-old Ukrainian has taken her career tally to 20 tournament titles, and this year she also finished runner-up in Dubai, a semi-finalist at the Australian Open, Indian Wells, Stuttgart and Toronto along with four quarterfinals including Roland Garros.
“We are thrilled that Elina will return to defend her title in Auckland,” said Tournament Director, Nicolas Lamperin. “Elina has moved back into the elite group at the top of the women’s world rankings, and her decision to defend her title in Auckland is massive for our tournament.”
Svitolina rose to a career-high No 3 in the world before a lengthy break in 2022 and 2023 for the birth of her daughter, and she is delighted to be working her way back to the top echelon.
“It’s been a great season for me so far.,” said Svitolina “When I arrived in Auckland at the start of the year, I had really low expectations for the season and for the tournament. But match by match I gained confidence and I feel that it gave me the first step towards a great year so far in 2026.
“For me it is always important to play well in the first tournaments. I always aim for the good result – as a check on my game and my physical results.
“I am very happy to be back in Auckland again and I will do my very best to play well there again.
“I really enjoy the city. I love the sights. The tournament itself is very well organised and of course the people – the crowds make it very special. It is always a packed stadium and great atmosphere which gives the motivation to play well.”
Lamperin said there are considerable pressures on the world’s top-10 players to compete in higher ranked and more affluent tournaments.
“We are privileged to host not only one of the world’s premier players, but also one of the most respected people in the game.”
Lamperin is confident of another world-class field for the ASB Classic.
“I am in negotiation with several high-quality players and will be heading to the US Open where we hope to be in a position to name more major players in the coming weeks.”
