Former US Open champion Sam Stosur will contest her 20th Australian Open after being announced as a main draw wildcard for the grand slam.
Stosur’s feat will equal Lleyton Hewitt’s record for the most appearances at the tournament, the now-37-year-old making her Open debut in 2000.
Fellow Australians Daria Saville (née Gavrilova), Storm Sanders and Maddison Inglis were also announced as wildcard recipients, with more spots still to be revealed.
READ MORE: Disgraced NRL star hammered in boxing debut
READ MORE: Hamilton’s dramatic F1 loss sparks death threats
READ MORE: Iconic cricket commentator hangs up the mic
Tournament director Craig Tiley said Stosur deserved the chance to play what is expected to be her final Australian Open after an illustrious career.
“It was a no-brainer, put it that way,” he said.
“She deserves it. She’s a grand slam champion. She’s a legend of Australian tennis.
“We’d love her to advance and finish on a strong note… [but] I wouldn’t be surprised if she keeps playing.
“She said this is probably going to be the end, but we’ll see.
“We’re very proud of the fact that she has that opportunity.”
Tiley also provided an update on COVID-19 measures that will be in place for the event, including the availability of medical exceptions to a “very small percentage” of players.
Last year’s champion Novak Djokovic has thus far refused to confirm whether or not he has received the jab.
For a daily dose of the best of the breaking news and exclusive content from Wide World of Sports, subscribe to our newsletter by clicking here!