World number one Angelique Kerber and former Wimbledon finalist Eugenie Bouchard, two of the most famous players on the WTA tour, have both been confirmed for the Abierto Monterrey Afirme, to be held in April.
Kerber will be playing at the event for the first time since 2013, where she lost in the final to Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, whilst Bouchard will be making her debut.
Tournament likely to benefit from big stars in action
In terms of star power, there are very few tennis stars more famous than Kerber currently. The German’s rise from perennial top-ten player to world number one and two-time Grand Slam garnered worldwide attention, and her entry will likely generate huge interesting in ticket sales and TV viewing.
Kerber will see this as an opportunity to build her position at the top of the game, having not played last year and therefore is guaranteed points, though will also be looking to make up for her loss in the 2013 final; seeded first, she lost to Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova after beating the likes of Maria Kirilenko on her way to the final.
Though not as big as a star as Kerber, Bouchard’s highly successful run in 2014, including the final at Wimbledon and the semifinals at the Australian and French Opens, marked her down as one of the most talented young stars on tour. Though she has struggled the past two seasons, there have been positive signs for the Canadian this season and she’ll see her debut in Monterrey as a chance to continue to progression back up the rankings.
More players yet to be confirmed
With only Bouchard and Kerber confirmed so far, it will be interesting to see what other notable names enter the draw.
Defending champion Heather Watson could well return, as could 2015 champion Timea Bacsinszky and three-time champion Pavlyuchenkova.