Italian top player and world number 26 Camila Giorgi has pulled out of the Brisbane International, the first tournament of the year, which kicks off on 30th December. The Brisbane International will feature a star-studded field which includes seven top players: 2018 WTA Finals champion Elina Svitolina, the last two US Open champions Sloane Stephens (2017) and Naomi Osaka (2018), Petra Kvitova, Karolina Pliskova, Kiki Bertens and Daria Kasatkina.
Giorgi will make her seasonal debut in Sydney, where she reached the semifinal in January 2018. The Italian player started a successful season in Sydney by reaching the semifinal. She beat Sloane Stephens, Petra Kvitova and Agnieszka Radwanska before losing to Angelique Kerber. Giorgi will defend 210 ranking points next January. After her semifinal run in Sydney Giorgi reached two semifinals in Prague and Tokyo, the quarter final at Wimbledon and won the second title of her career in Linz in her final tournament of the 2018 season. At Wimbledon she lost to eventual champion Serena Williams after winning the first set. She beat this year’s Australian Open champion Caroline Wozniacki en route to reaching the semifinal in Tokyo. She beat Ekaterina Alexandrova in straight sets in Linz to reach a career-high of world number 28.
