The women's tournament reached its zenith in terms of profile in its last edition, getting Serena Williams to Auckland. Photo: Photosport
Game on! The ASB Classic is back.
"It's been way too long."
That, from ASB Classic tournament director Nicolas Lamperin, pretty much summed up the feelings of everyone after two long years of Covid-enforced inaction. That's how long it's been since the Stanley Street courts were alive with some of the best players in the world, surrounded by the sipping of champagne by sun-drenched crowds.
The women's tournament begins today, with a strong field attracted to the unique and boutique atmosphere of Auckland.
They say that Stanley Street really is ground zero for the age-old 'what do you think of New Zealand' question that the media love to ask anyone slightly famous that walks through Auckland Airport, but that's because you really do get some genuine content from the tennis players when they get asked.
The Classic has a great reputation for a good reason - the crowds are plentiful for an ATP/WTA 250 event and bring a festive atmosphere with them given the time of year. Outside the courts, the ever-growing hospitality area stretches into the nearby Auckland Domain.
It's a nice break from the often-monotonous churn of the sports news in New Zealand. Notably, the Classic has for many years been providing a narrative that countless sports neophytes have been banging on about lately: a showcase of elite level women's sport, given healthy coverage and prize money.
The women's tournament reached its zenith in terms of profile in its last edition, not only getting Serena Williams to Auckland but having arguably the greatest women's athlete of all time win both the singles and doubles.
The Williams legacy across the sport is not something that troubles her heir-apparent Coco Gauff, however. The number one seed from Atlanta was all smiles at the pre-tournament press conference, saying that of Williams "she's the GOAT and I'm just trying to figure it all out."
"If I can do even close to what she did then I'll take it…but I've always had the philosophy that there's never going to be a 'next anyone'. Like Messi and Pele, they're both the greatest in their own right, each person can be the GOAT in their own worlds."
Coco Gauff is tennis' rising star. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
It's easy to forget that the charismatic Gauff is still only 18, having first come to Auckland as a 15-year-old.
Media relations for most tennis players are a refreshing priority, as was evidenced by the interest in an opportunity to talk to 2021 US Open winner Emma Raducanu.
"I've had to adapt as a person, everything around me has changed a lot," said the 20-year-old about her life following the breakthrough Grand Slam victory.
"I've become extremely busy and become more in the public eye, but that comes with the territory. I wouldn't trade it."
That's not hard to believe, considering Raducanu certainly has leveraged her fame to great success. She's pulled in an incredible $22 million in endorsement deals despite injuries causing a ranking drop down to a current 86 in the world.
The fans will be there to see her try and improve that.
Organisers are confident of full stands for Tuesday, thanks to the pulling power of Gauff, Raducanu, third seed Leylah Fernandez and promising Czech sisters Brenda and Linda Fruhvirtova.
"That's amazing for the first couple of days, compared to the first couple of days of other tournaments around the world. You could fire a cannon through the stands at some of those places and not hit anyone," said tournament chief executive Rohan West, who has handled the often-tricky ticketing job personally.
The return of the ASB Classic does represent a return to normalcy for the New Zealand sports calendar, which has had to put up with severe disruption over the last couple of years.
"For me, 2023 is year one," said Lamperin, who has taken over from high-profile tournament director Karl Budge, who has left extremely solid foundations for the ASB Classic to build on.
"We just want to make sure we deliver a top event."