Serena Williams to launch 2016 season at the Hopman Cup in Australia

Serena Williams will start her season at the Hopman Cup in Australia. Photograph: Jonathan Brady/PA

SERENA Williams will again launch her season at the Hopman Cup in Australia, tournament organisers have announced.

The world No1 reached the final of the mixed team event last year with her American compatriot John Isner to kick off a superb season where she won the Australian and French Opens and Wimbledon to take her grand slam singles haul to 21.
Williams said: “Perth definitely started something quite amazing so I think it’s only natural and fair and reasonable that I go back to Perth. We were so close to winning last year [the US were beaten by Poland in the final]. I’m really excited to be back. In 2016 I want to play doubles in Australia so it will be really exciting for me to get there, play some and get a little experience at the Hopman Cup.”

Williams has not played since suffering a shock semi-final defeat to the Italian Roberta Vinci at the US Open last month, which ended her bid for a rare calendar grand slam.

She pulled out of two events in China earlier this month, as well as next week’s WTA Finals in Singapore, citing the need to rest after a year spent carrying injuries.

Britain’s Andy Murray, meanwhile, will also head to Perth for the event from 3-9 January, partnering Heather Watson.

Hopman Cup pairings

United States: Jack Sock and Serena Williams; Australia Gold: Lleyton Hewitt and Casey Dellacqua; Australia Green: Nick Kyrgios and TBA; Great Britain: Andy Murray and Heather Watson; France: Gaël Monfils and Caroline Garcia; Czech Republic: Jiri Veseley and Lucie Safarova; Germany: Alexander Zverev and Sabine Lisicki; Ukraine: Alexandr Dolgopolov and Elina Svitolina. -guardian.com