Azarenka, Venus join Lexington field

LEXINGTON, KY, USA - Two more Grand Slam champions have joined the inaugural field at the inaugural Top Seed Open presented by Bluegrass Orthopaedics.

Two-time Australian Open winner Victoria Azarenka and seven-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams are expected to make their return to competitive matches in week two of the tour's restart on U.S. soil, beginning Aug. 10.

The two former World No.1s join 23-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams and 2017 US Open champion Sloane Stephens at the International-level event, with the American duo having been announced as participants by the tournament last week.

Read more: Serena, Stephens to headline new WTA event in Lexington

Azarenka, currently ranked World No.58, played just one match before the tour was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic, losing in the first round of the Abierto GNP Seguros in Monterrey, Mexico to Slovenia's Tamara Zidansek.

Nonetheless, the Belarusian was among 16 WTA stars to participate in the Credit One Bank Invitational exhibition tournament in Charleston last month as a member of Madison Keys' Team Kindness.

Williams, who celebrated her 40th birthday last month, will also be looking for her first victory of the tour year when she debuts in Kentucky, having lost her opening match at the Australian Open to fellow American Coco Gauff before losing in the first round of both events in Mexico, Acapulco and Monterrey.

During tennis' suspension, the current World No.67 has been active in many non-tennis ventures, which have included hosting a live, daily workout program on her Instagram channel, and the debut of her new game show with Rob Gronkowski, Game On! on CBS.

Also announced as tournament participants on Tuesday are American teenagers Coco Gauff and Amanda Anisimova.

Gauff will be officially competing for the first time since a fourth round loss to eventual champion Sofia Kenin at January's Australian Open, while Anisimova reached the third round of the Qatar Total Open in Doha in February at her last tournament. 

The Top Seed Open presented by Bluegrass Orthopaedics is scheduled to be held at the Top Seed Tennis Club from Aug. 10-17. 

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