World number seven Johanna Konta has received a wild card specially held for Top-20 players at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix, which will take place next week.
Konta, who withdrew from the Volvo Car Open, which would have been her first clay court tournament of the year, will be in action for Great Britain in their away Fed Cup tie against Romania this weekend before heading to Stuttgart, where she lost in the opening round to Anna-Lena Friedsam last year.
The Brits entrance adds even more depth to the field, with eight of the top ten players in action, the only exceptions being Serena Williams, who will return to world number one next Monday, and Madison Keys. The tournament also sees the return of Maria Sharapova, who is so far the only other player who has received a wildcard into the tournament.
Konta looking to continue fine 2017 form
It has been an extremely strong year so far the Konta, with a second Grand Slam quarterfinal at the Australian Open and titles in Sydney and Miami, and she’ll be looking to continue her fine form on a surface where she hasn’t had too much success in the past.
Konta lost in the opening round of the tournament last year, with the clay season in general being the weakest part of her breakthrough season in 2016, though the Brit has improved massively since then and will be one of the strongest contenders for the title; she is set to be the sixth seed at the tournament.
In a statement, Konta acknowledged the strength and depth of the tournament, commenting “The field is very deep,” also adding, “I’m sure every match will be an exciting challenge.” Konta has recorded wins over several of the other players in the field, including victories over the likes of Agnieszka Radwanska and Simona Halep earlier this year.