Switching their sweat bands and tennis shoes for designer dresses and heels, Grand Slam champions Sloane Stephens, Petra Kvitova and Sam Stosur are on the countdown to New Year’s Eve and the start of their Brisbane International campaigns.
The trio visited Brisbane’s trendy new food precinct, Howard Smith Wharves, ahead of the New Year’s Eve with a Glam Slam.
Tennis fans are encouraged to glam up with the most glamorous family on Monday’s night’s session on Pat Rafter Arena to win tickets to the finals.
Three 🎾 Queens in Queensland… #BrisbaneTennis @SloaneStephens @Petra_Kvitova @bambamsam30
See all the photos 👀 https://t.co/CeZtAK08vQ pic.twitter.com/T1ccEQd5Mj
— #BrisbaneTennis (@BrisbaneTennis) December 30, 2018
Stephens, the US Open 2017 champion and world No.6, admitted the chance to put the racquet down and get dressed up was a welcome reprieve.
“I love a good photo shoot,” she said. “So much fun, I always enjoy it.”
The American built on a breakout 2017 last year to reach finals in Montreal, the WTA Finals, and the French Open, while she won one title in Miami. She is making her third appearance in Brisbane, where she was a quarter-finalist in 2013.
Stosur, the champion at Flushing Meadows in 2011, will be making her ninth Brisbane showing, keen to rebuild on her current ranking of No.68.
The Australian conceded it was a race against time to be ready in time for the shoot.
“Sometimes when you’ve only got a really limited amount of time to get ready it makes it a little challenging,” she said. “Once we’re here it’s always fun.”
Kvitova, currently ranked No.7, won five titles in 2018, in Birmingham, Madrid, Prague, Doha, and St Petersburg, and is making her fourth appearance in Brisbane, having won the title in 2011.
The Czech, a two-time champion at Wimbledon in 2011 and 2014, admitted to loving the occasions, especially if it allowed her to visit somewhere she’d never been in a city.
“It’s always something different, to see different places around the world,” she started. “It’s very special.
“It’s a beautiful sunset so it’s just beautiful to be here, very romantic.”
Stephens begins her Brisbane campaign against former world No.4 Johanna Konta, with Kvitova to meet American Danielle Collins first up. Stosur is up against a qualifier in her opening match on Monday night.
Tickets to the Brisbane International are on sale via Ticketek.