Hobart International

This article is about a women's tennis tournament. For the airport, see Hobart Airport.

Hobart International
WTA Tour
Founded1994; 31 years ago (1994)
LocationHobart
Australia
VenueDomain Tennis Centre
CategoryWTA 250
SurfaceHard (Plexicushion) – outdoors
Draw32S / 24Q / 16D
Prize moneyUS$275,094 (2025)
WebsiteHobartInternational.com.au
Current champions (2025)
Singles McCartney Kessler
Doubles Jiang Xinyu
Wu Fang-hsien

The Hobart International is a women's professional tennis tournament held at the Hobart International Tennis Centre in Hobart, Australia. The tournament was founded in 1994 as the Tasmanian International Open, it forms a part of the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) Tour and is classed as a WTA 250 tournament (previously International and Tier IV). It is competed on outdoor hardcourts, and is held in the run-up to the first Grand Slam tournament of the year, the Australian Open as part of the Australian Open Series.

The tournament is held at the Hobart International Tennis Centre. It was previously sponsored by Moorilla Wines, ANZ and Schweppes. The tournament has played host to a number of top players in the past, such as World #1's Victoria Azarenka, Kim Clijsters, Justine Henin and Serena Williams. Other top players who have participated in the event include Australian Open and Wimbledon semifinalist Zheng Jie, and current/former Top 10 players Jelena Dokić, Alicia Molik, Flavia Pennetta, Chanda Rubin, Patty Schnyder, Samantha Stosur and Vera Zvonareva.

History

In 1893 the Tasmanian Lawn Tennis Championships were established as a combined men's and women's international tennis tournament. In 1969 that tournament's name was changed to the Tasmanian Open Championships, becoming the Tasmanian Open played in Hobart on hard courts in 1978. That tournament ended in 1980. In 1994 this successor event for former women's tournament was revived as the Tasmanian International Open and remained branded under that name until 2003 when the tournament name was changed to the Moorilla Hobart International. In 2014 the tournament was rebranded again as the Hobart International.

Redevelopment

Prior to the Australian Open changing its court surface, the tournament was played on Rebound Ace. When the Australian Open changed to Plexicushion in 2008, all Australian Open Series tournaments were required to change their court surfaces to Plexicushion. The Moorilla Hobart International, however, retained Rebound Ace. Tennis Australia announced that in order for Hobart to keep its tournament, it was required to make significant improvements to the facility, including resurfacing the courts to Plexicushion and improving the seating facilities. The Domain Tennis Centre resurfaced its hardcourts to Plexicushion in late 2008, in time for the 2009 tournament.

Midway through 2009, the Tasmanian Government announced a $2.25 million to fund redevelopments to the Domain Tennis Centre over 2009–10. This announcement was to ensure that the Moorilla Hobart International tournament was retained. Prior to the 2010 singles final, representatives from Tennis Australia, along with tournament director Michael Roberts, announced that the future of the tournament would be secured through to 2013.

In 2009, the Domain Tennis Centre began a series of redevelopments in order to ensure the tournament's future. The first stage of these redevelopments included the demolition of the northern seating to make way for a permanent Corporate Stand and also a new Media Stand at the southern end of the Centre Court. This was completed prior to the 2010 tournament. The second stage of the redevelopment is to construct new permanent grandstands at the eastern and western ends of the court, increasing seating from around 1000 spectators to 2800. The redevelopment was completed by the 2011 tournament.

Past finals

Singles

Year Champion Runner-up Score
↓  Tier IV  ↓
1994 Mana Endo Rachel McQuillan 6–1, 6–7 (1–7), 6–4
1995 Leila Meskhi Li Fang 6–2, 6–3
1996 Julie Halard-Decugis Mana Endo 6–1, 6–2
1997 Dominique van Roost Marianne Werdel Witmeyer 6–3, 6–3
1998 Patty Schnyder Dominique van Roost 6–3, 6–2
1999 Chanda Rubin Rita Grande 6–2, 6–3
2000 Kim Clijsters Chanda Rubin 2–6, 6–2, 6–2
↓  Tier V  ↓
2001 Rita Grande Jennifer Hopkins 0–6, 6–3, 6–3
2002 Martina Suchá Anabel Medina Garrigues 7–6 (9–7), 6–1
2003 Alicia Molik Amy Frazier 6–2, 4–6, 6–4
2004 Amy Frazier Shinobu Asagoe 6–3, 6–3
2005 Zheng Jie Gisela Dulko 6–2, 6–0
↓  Tier IV  ↓
2006 Michaëlla Krajicek Iveta Benešová 6–2, 6–1
2007 Anna Chakvetadze Vasilisa Bardina 6–3, 7–6 (7–3)
2008 Eleni Daniilidou Vera Zvonareva walkover
↓  International  ↓
2009 Petra Kvitová Iveta Benešová 7–5, 6–1
2010 Alona Bondarenko Shahar Pe'er 6–2, 6–4
2011 Jarmila Groth Bethanie Mattek-Sands 6–4, 6–3
2012 Mona Barthel Yanina Wickmayer 6–1, 6–2
2013 Elena Vesnina Mona Barthel 6–3, 6–4
2014 Garbiñe Muguruza Klára Zakopalová 6–4, 6–0
2015 Heather Watson Madison Brengle 6–3, 6–4
2016 Alizé Cornet Eugenie Bouchard 6–1, 6–2
2017 Elise Mertens Monica Niculescu 6–3, 6–1
2018 Elise Mertens (2) Mihaela Buzărnescu 6–1, 4–6, 6–3
2019 Sofia Kenin Anna Karolína Schmiedlová 6–3, 6–0
2020 Elena Rybakina Zhang Shuai 7–6(9–7), 6–3
2021 not held
2022
↓  WTA 250  ↓
2023 Lauren Davis Elisabetta Cocciaretto 7–6(7–0), 6–2
2024 Emma Navarro Elise Mertens 6–1, 4–6, 7–5
2025 McCartney Kessler Elise Mertens 6–4, 3–6, 6–0

Doubles

Year Champions Runners-up Score
1994 Linda Wild
Chanda Rubin		 Jenny Byrne
Rachel McQuillan		 7–5, 4–6, 7–6(7–1)
1995 Kyōko Nagatsuka
Ai Sugiyama		 Manon Bollegraf
Larisa Neiland		 2–6, 6–4, 6–2
1996 Yayuk Basuki
Kyōko Nagatsuka (2) 		Kerry-Anne Guse
Park Sung-hee		 7–6(9–7), 6–3
1997 Naoko Kijimuta
Nana Miyagi		 Barbara Rittner
Dominique Monami		 6–3, 6–1
1998 Virginia Ruano Pascual
Paola Suárez		 Julie Halard-Decugis
Janette Husárová		 7–6(8–6), 6–3
1999 Mariaan de Swardt
Elena Tatarkova		 Alexia Dechaume-Balleret
Émilie Loit		 6–2, 6–2
2000 Rita Grande
Émilie Loit		 Kim Clijsters
Alicia Molik		 6–2, 2–6, 6–3
2001 Cara Black
Elena Likhovtseva		 Ruxandra Dragomir
Virginia Ruano Pascual		 6–4, 6–1
2002 Tathiana Garbin
Rita Grande (2) 		Catherine Barclay-Reitz
Christina Wheeler		 6–2, 7–6(7–3)
2003 Cara Black (2)
Elena Likhovtseva (2) 		Barbara Schett
Patricia Wartusch		 7–5, 7–6(7–1)
2004 Shinobu Asagoe
Seiko Okamoto		 Els Callens
Barbara Schett		 2–6, 6–4, 6–3
2005 Yan Zi
Zheng Jie		 Anabel Medina Garrigues
Dinara Safina		 6–4, 7–5
2006 Émilie Loit (2)
Nicole Pratt		 Jill Craybas
Jelena Kostanić		 6–2, 6–1
2007 Elena Likhovtseva (3)
Elena Vesnina		 Anabel Medina Garrigues
Virginia Ruano Pascual		 2–6, 6–1, 6–2
2008 Anabel Medina Garrigues
Virginia Ruano Pascual (2) 		Eleni Daniilidou
Jasmin Wöhr		 6–2, 6–4
2009 Gisela Dulko
Flavia Pennetta		 Alona Bondarenko
Kateryna Bondarenko		 6–2, 7–6(7–4)
2010 Chuang Chia-jung
Květa Peschke		 Chan Yung-jan
Monica Niculescu		 3–6, 6–3, [10–7]
2011 Sara Errani
Roberta Vinci		 Kateryna Bondarenko
Līga Dekmeijere		 6–3, 7–5
2012 Irina-Camelia Begu
Monica Niculescu		 Chuang Chia-jung
Marina Erakovic		 6–7(4–7), 7–6(7–4), [10–5]
2013 Garbiñe Muguruza
María Teresa Torró Flor		 Tímea Babos
Mandy Minella		 6–3, 7–6(7–5)
2014 Monica Niculescu (2)
Klára Zakopalová		 Lisa Raymond
Zhang Shuai		 6–2, 6–7(5–7), [10–8]
2015 Kiki Bertens
Johanna Larsson		 Vitalia Diatchenko
Monica Niculescu		 7–5, 6–3
2016 Han Xinyun
Christina McHale		 Kimberly Birrell
Jarmila Wolfe		 6–3, 6–0
2017 Raluca Olaru
Olga Savchuk		 Gabriela Dabrowski
Yang Zhaoxuan		 0–6, 6–4, [10–5]
2018 Elise Mertens
Demi Schuurs		 Lyudmyla Kichenok
Makoto Ninomiya		 6–2, 6–2
2019 Chan Hao-ching
Latisha Chan		 Kirsten Flipkens
Johanna Larsson		 6–3, 3–6, [10–6]
2020 Nadiia Kichenok
Sania Mirza		 Peng Shuai
Zhang Shuai		 6–4, 6–4
2021 not held
2022
2023 Kirsten Flipkens
Laura Siegemund		 Viktorija Golubic
Panna Udvardy		 6–4, 7–5
2024 Chan Hao-ching (2)
Giuliana Olmos		 Guo Hanyu
Jiang Xinyu		 6–3, 6–3
2025 Jiang Xinyu
Wu Fang-hsien		 Monica Niculescu
Fanny Stollár		 6–1, 7–6(8–6)

See also

References

  1. ^ "Endo Wins First Event". Cumberland Sunday Times News. Cumberland, Maryland, USA: Newspaper Archives. 16 January 1994. p. 17. Retrieved 11 March 2023.
  2. ^ "Miss Casals Advances". Phoenix Arizona Republic. Phoenix, Arizona, United States: Newspaper Archives. 4 January 1969. p. 96. Retrieved 11 March 2023.
  3. ^ Barrett, John; Tingay, Lance (1979). World of tennis : a BP yearbook. 1979. London: Macdonald and Jane's. p. 191. ISBN 0354090682.
  4. ^ "Endo Wins First Event". Cumberland Sunday Times News. Cumberland, Maryland, USA: Newspaper Archives. 16 January 1994. p. 17. Retrieved 11 March 2023.
  5. ^ "$6.5 Million for Sport and Recreation Infrastructure". tas.gov.au. 11 June 2009. Retrieved 28 January 2010.[permanent dead link‍]
  6. ^ "Event's future secured". themercury.com.au. 14 January 2010. Retrieved 28 January 2010.
  7. ^ "Development begins at the Domain Tennis Centre". hobartinternational.com.au. 24 August 2009. Retrieved 28 January 2010.
  8. ^ "Celebrating 25 years in Hobart". Hobart International. 31 December 2017.