Zhang Zhizhen elected as ATP committee member, Zhang Shuai battles fiercely against a French opponent in her debut, why did Serena Williams get a wildcard for the Australian Open?

Three minutes daily to keep up with all things tennis worldwide. Hello tennis fans, today is Friday, January 2, 2026. Welcome to the news midday report brought to you by Tennis Home.

First, some positive news. Last night Beijing time, ATP revealed the new roster of the Players' Council. Among the four newly elected members this year is China’s star Zhang Zhizhen, marking the first time a Chinese player has joined the ATP Players' Council. Congratulations to ZZZ! The current term for the ATP Players' Council runs for three years, from 2026 to 2028. All members are elected by players, requiring broad influence among peers, willingness to dedicate time and effort to serve the player community, and strong communication and administrative skills. The council is responsible for presenting various player-related suggestions to ATP management and the board. Zhang Zhizhen’s election undoubtedly represents a significant step for the rights of Chinese and Asian players.

Back to the court. At 9:30 AM Beijing time today, the singles qualifying rounds for the WTA 500 Brisbane tournament, one of the first women’s events of 2026, commenced. Zhang Shuai’s originally scheduled opponent, Armenian Avanesyan, withdrew before the match. Her place was taken by 28-year-old French player Fera. In the match that concluded at 12:05 PM, Zhang Shuai defeated her opponent 6-2, 3-6, 6-4, securing her first win of the year.

At 10 AM Beijing time today, the United Cup mixed team tennis event kicked off in Perth, Australia. On the first day, Group A’s Spain faced Argentina, while Group E saw Greece take on Japan. The announced player lineups for Group A included Munar and Manero for Spain, with Argentina fielding Baez, Cerundolo, and a mixed doubles pair. The matchups were: Munar vs Baez, Manero vs Cerundolo, and Manero/Munar vs Callei/Andreozzi. For Group E, Greece was led by Stefanos Tsitsipas and Maria Sakkari, while Japan featured Naomi Osaka and Shintaro Mochizuki. The matches were: Sakkari vs Osaka, Tsitsipas vs Mochizuki, and Sakkari/Tsitsipas vs Osaka/Mochizuki.

In a match that ended around noon Beijing time, Argentina’s Baez defeated Spain’s Munar in straight sets, 6-4, 6-4, giving his team a 1-0 lead.

Additionally, last night Beijing time, the Australian Open organizers announced that the final women’s singles main draw wildcard for 2026 was awarded to American legend Serena Williams. This will mark Serena’s return to the Australian Open singles main draw since 2021. However, some fans questioned the decision, saying, “Why give the wildcard to Serena? She’s too old and can’t win matches anymore!” and “She just got married and is on her honeymoon, not training; she’ll likely lose in the first round in Melbourne. It would be better to give the spot to younger players!” Despite the official announcement from the Australian Open committee, Serena has not yet confirmed whether she will accept the wildcard.

Finally, let’s play a guessing game. The following picture shows a player training. Without any hints, can you identify who she is?

No fans correctly answered last time’s guess. Actually, the player in the picture is the Swiss star Belinda Bencic.

(Source: Tennis Home Author: Independent Thinker)