Auckland draw: Raducanu, Anisimova set tricky openers; Osaka gets qualifier

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and Amanda Anismova will open their 2025 Hologic WTA Tour seasons against two talented young Americans when the ASB Classic kicks off on Monday, Dec. 30 in Auckland, New Zealand.

Auckland: Scores | Schedule | Draws

The ASB Classic is the first WTA 250 event of the new season and will feature Madison Keys

and as the top two seeds. The popular event will also see make her return to Auckland for the first time since making the quarterfinals in 2017.

UPDATE: Raducanu withdrew ahead of her first-round match due to low back injury. No.2 seed Elise Mertens

View Profile also withdrew due to a right ankle injury. Both players were replaced in the draw by lucky losers.

Main draw at Auckland (WTA 250), where Madison Keys

View Profile and Elise Mertens

View Profile are the top seeds. pic.twitter.com/1yjnZHZKnN
— WTA Insider (@WTA_insider) December 28, 2024

Top Half

Top-seeded Keys, who will face Italy's Lucia Bronzetti

in the first round, leads the top half of the draw along with No.6 seed Raducanu. The British star, who has made the Round of 16 in back-to-back appearances, will open her season against 20-year-old left-hander .

The top half also features No.4 seed Lulu Sun

, who returns to her home tournament for the first time since her remarkable run to the Wimbledon quarterfinals last summer. Sun will face Canada's .

Also lurking in the top half are 2020 Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin

and Ukraine's . The Ukrainian finished the year ranked No.101 after tearing through September to make back-to-back quarterfinals as a qualifier in Monastir and Beijing.

Bottom Half

No.2 seed Mertens anchors the bottom half of the draw along with No.3 seed Anisimova, No.7 seed Osaka, and No.8 seed Katie Volynets

. A semifinalist in Auckland in 2020, Anisimova will face down in the first round. Ranked No.78, Parks finished her 2024 season with a title at the WTA 125 in Angers, France, defeating a returning in three sets.

The bottom half also features an all-American clash between Sloane Stephens and Ann Li