It has been less than two weeks since Aryna Sabalenka played her last match of the 2025 WTA season, but fans already miss her near-daily presence in the tennis world.<\/p>\n
Luckily for fans, the off-season is incredibly short. On Thursday night, Sabalenka announced her first tournament of the 2026 campaign. Tournament organizers for the Brisbane International shared a video of Sabalenka committing to the event.<\/p>\n
Sabalenka recorded a selfie video with the message, “Hi guys, I’m super excited to come back to Brisbane. Australia always feels like home, and I’m super excited to come back to Queensland Tennis Center.”<\/p>\n
\nA sweet message from Sabs \ud83e\udef6<\/p>\n
Who else is excited to see Aryna Sabalenka in Brisbane? \ud83d\ude4c pic.twitter.com\/HJkJwOkW7K<\/a><\/p>\n
\u2014 Brisbane International (@BrisbaneTennis) November 21, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Sabalenka kicked off her 2025 season by winning the Brisbane International in dominant fashion. She rattled off five wins without dropping a set until her final victory over Polina Kudermetova. Most impressively, Sabalenka rolled over Mirra Andreeva in the semifinal.<\/p>\n
Sabalenka carried that momentum into the Australian Open, where she made it all the way to the final before losing to a red-hot Madison Keys. Sabalenka eventually finished the season as the WTA World No. 1 with a record of 63-12 and four singles titles (including picking up her fourth career Major title at the US Open).<\/p>\n
Interview: Aryna Sabalenka talks 2025 WTA season, TikTok dances, and David Beckham.<\/a><\/p>\n
\nQueen of the hard court! @SabalenkaA<\/a> is in a league of her own during the Aussie summer.#BrisbaneTennis<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/LsgYFIcHec<\/a><\/p>\n
\u2014 Brisbane International (@BrisbaneTennis) January 5, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
The Brisbane International runs from January 4-11, 2026. It is a WTA 500 tournament that marks the start of the new year for many players and is a crucial warm-up for the Australian Open. <\/p>\n
The prestigious event is played on the hard courts at the Queensland Tennis Centre. The total prize money is $1,206,446. Past winners have included Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova, Victoria Azarenka, and Karolina Pliskova.<\/p>\n
\nWe \u2764\ufe0f you @SabalenkaA<\/a> #BrisbaneTennis<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/dRg2eVnJN0<\/a><\/p>\n
\u2014 Brisbane International (@BrisbaneTennis) January 5, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Even better for fans, they will get to see Sabalenka in exhibition matches next month. She will play against Naomi Osaka in the Atlanta Cup on December 6. After that, Sabalenka will face Nick Kyrgios in a “Battle of the Sexes” exhibition match in Dubai on December 28.<\/p>\n
The 2026 WTA season will be here before we know it. Stay locked into Sports Illustrated’s\u00a0Serve On SI\u00a0for all of your tennis news from the court and beyond.<\/p>\n
More Tennis News<\/p>\n
Rafael Nadal returns to the tennis court one year after his retirement.<\/a><\/p>\n
Carlos Alcaraz provides an update on his signature Nike logo.<\/a><\/p>\n
Carlos Alcaraz reveals his toughest match ever played.<\/a><\/p>\n
Emma Raducanu pulls out of two exhibition matches.<\/a><\/p>\n
Jannik Sinner named two of his best friends on the ATP Tour.<\/a><\/p>\n