December 12, 2025 • 9 mins
The field for the Women’s ASB classic draw has been confirmed.
Kiwi Lulu Sun is among those playing, along with superstar Venus Williams.
Tournament director Nico Lamperin told Piney they’re extremely happy about the field they’ve managed to put together.
He says the draw is a good reflection of some established players, world famous names, as well as the younger generation.
“Venus is huge,” Lamperin says.
“She’s really the player that everybody wants to see.”
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Weekend Sport podcast with Jason Vine
from News Talk ZEDB.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Slam tennis champion Meantime and previous winner of the ASB Classic.
We'll both return to the women's field in twenty twenty six.
American Sloan Stevens is one of the four wild cards
for the tournament, alongside seven time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams,
British star Katie Bolter, and yet to be determined Kei We.
The field is headlined by Ukraine's Alinas Fitelina and American
(00:35):
Emma Navarro. They are fourteenth and fifteenth, respectively in the
current WTA World rankings. The tournament runs from January five
to eleven and is immediately followed by the men's tournament
of course, through until January seventeenth. Tournament director Nicholas lamper
And is with us on Weekend Sport. Nicholas, congratulations on
the women's field. It looks great. Are you happy with it?
Speaker 3 (00:57):
We're all extremely happy about the field that we've we've
managed to put together. You know, every time we start
from at blank page, and it's always a bit of
a challenge to kind of bring the players that we
have in mind. I think the draw that we have
is a good reflection of you know, some established players
(01:19):
who've been you know, regular in the top ten. You
know players like Elena's Vitulina or em and Varro, you know,
world famous name like Venice Williams, but also the young
generation with the likes of A. A. La Yovic or
Yannis Kin.
Speaker 2 (01:37):
Yeah, I want to ask about those younger players. The
ASP Classic has a great reputation of providing opportunities for
promising young players that go on to find success in
their careers. The likes of Cocoa Golf and Bianca Andrei Escu.
Tell us a bit more about some of the younger
players that we can look forward to saying this year.
Speaker 3 (01:56):
Yeah, I mean we're always really proud to say that.
You know, those players started in Auckland and it was
the very first step of the big journey to the
to the top of the rankings. So we scout them
twelve to six months ahead of the tournament, and this
year we decided to go for Iva Yovich. You know,
(02:16):
she made some really good results on the tour. She
was aged seventeen and she managed to win a first
of BT at five hundred tournaments, so she's only eighteen
and she's coming to open for the first year. The
second one is Alexandra Aerla. She left the Philippines at
a young age, went all the way to Spain, based
(02:37):
herself in Majoca at the rough Underdella Academy. Also won
the first tournament this year and you know, very very
talented lefty and already a huge star in the Philippines.
First time ever that the Philippines have a player ranked
within the top fifty. And the last one is Yennistien
a bit of a different story. Decided to go to
(02:57):
college first, you know, just to become a bit stronger,
get more experience, and she went from being unranged thin
a year ago to being now a top fifty player
in the course of the last twelve months, which is
a remarkable achievement.
Speaker 2 (03:14):
Look forward to seeing those young players in action. I
guess at the other end of the experienced scale. Venus
Williams back for her seventh appearance at the ASP Classic.
How much interest does she still generate for you?
Speaker 3 (03:27):
Venus is huge. You don't know how much pressure I
gets from the people of the office to sign Venice
every year. It's really the the player that everybody wants
to see year after year. This year was a little
bit different because she she had been off for a
while and we were not really quite sure about what
the plans were going to be. And then over the
(03:49):
summer she gave us some indication that she was back
and that she wanted to play some more. So, after
witnessing the level that she displayed in the US, we
decided to go after her and then we managed to
secure a participation.
Speaker 2 (04:05):
Elena's Selena and Emmanavro fourteenth and fifteenth in the world currently.
How happy are you, Nicholas would that pair as your
top two seats.
Speaker 3 (04:14):
I think it's great to have bought the number fourteen
and number fifteen. Last year the top seed was made
some keys and she was, if I remember correctly, twenty
one in the world, so it's an improvement from last
year the top fifteen player. By the same time, they
spend a lot of time in the top ten and
I have a feeling this is where they belongs. So
(04:36):
for them to be in Auckland in week one, I
think it creates the perfect pathway to start the season strong,
be ambitious and do well for the rest of the
season and the.
Speaker 2 (04:47):
Week two new Zealanders in the field, Lulu Sun qualifying
directly under her world ranking. Now that allows a second
key We to compete as a confirmed wild card. How
much of a boost is that to you to know
that there's going to be two Keywis involved in the
women's tournament.
Speaker 3 (05:01):
Well, we always want to have as many Keywis as
possible in the draw in his learning, and obviously people
want to see the locals do well. Lulu had a
strong finish which gave her the opportunity to enter directly
on ranking, and at the same time it opens an
opportunity for another World cut to qualify. So there's a
(05:25):
race system in place which is based on results over
the last twelve months. Two more tournaments to play, one
this week in Hamilton, another one in Papamoa, and once
those tournaments are over will have a better indication who
will be the player eligible for that last worldout.
Speaker 2 (05:46):
Well look forward to seeing who that second key We is.
Beyond the women's tournament, the men's tournament of course, and
great news this week you've confirmed the return of Casper
Route for the men's tournament. We've seen them here, but
it was almost a bit of a not a non event,
but you know, conditions conspired against you last time Casper
was here. How significant to have a coming back for
(06:07):
you though.
Speaker 3 (06:08):
Yeah, I mean Casper came last time in twenty twenty
three was a bit of a sad situation whereby we
had a lot of rain, he had to play indoor,
it was late at night, and no one got a
chance to see him. I think at the time he
had just played the final at the US Open. He
was number two and number three in the world, so
it was real shame for our funds not to be
(06:31):
able to see him player on court. So it was
always in the back of my mind that I would
like him to return one day, and I'm super happy
that we managed to get it done for twenty twenty six.
Speaker 2 (06:43):
And of course we had news a couple of months
ago of government investment into a roof on center Court
at your venue there at Stanley Street, possibly as early
as as twenty twenty seven. We wait to see how
much confidence, though, will that give you moving forward in
terms of the tournament, the players you're going to track,
in security that the roof will give you in terms
of weather conditions.
Speaker 3 (07:04):
It's crucial for us to have an infrastructure and a
stadium that is up to the standards. This year we
started a lot of renovation around the venue by extending
Saint Court by replacing one of the stands, increasing the
capacity of the stadium, and then the second step will
be to have the roof on. So we almost there
(07:26):
in terms of funding, which is waiting a final confirmation,
which I'm being told should happen very very soon. And
you know, once we have this new facility in place,
it's really going to help us deal with the conditions.
We know they can be very wet or very windy
in Auckland and sometimes it gets stuck in players' minds.
(07:48):
So for us to be able to tell players that
now in the conditions are going to be ideal will
help us to continue to bring the top ten of
the future.
Speaker 2 (08:00):
Very exciting times and ticket sales no doubt going well
for this year's or early twenty twenty. So with the
women's feel confirmed now some exciting names and the means
tickets will be we're going well, no doubt.
Speaker 3 (08:13):
Yeah, it sells are going extremely well. Were a couple
of thousands above what we had last time at the
same at the same period so extremely happy. We still
have some tickets available, but it's going really really really well.
Speaker 2 (08:29):
Great to hear. Great and hear in the next all
of this organizing all of these tennis players on the tournament,
you spend a bit of time at go Media Stadium
watching Auckland. If so as well, you become a Black
Knights fan as well, I understand, Yeah, I do.
Speaker 3 (08:41):
I do love my my auklindess. He I come with
my kids as much as I can. We we we
big Liverpool fans in the family, so it's slightly different.
But it's nice to be able to relate to a
team locally. And uh, last year, actually I invited your
rookie Psychi to the tournament, you know when when now
(09:04):
Musica was playing, so it was great and then he
came with I think Tommy Smith came as well. He
was taking photos with immar Ret Canue and but yeah,
it was it was nice to have the players around.
Speaker 2 (09:16):
Nice connection, wonderful stuff. Nicholas. Again, thank you for chatting
to us. Well done on this awesome women's field. Look
forward to catching up again when the tournament draws closer.
Speaker 3 (09:24):
Yeah, my pleasure.
Speaker 2 (09:25):
Thanks very much, No, thank you, Nicholas Nicholas Lamper and
they're the tournament director of the ASP Classics. So Sloan
Stevens is coming back, Venus Williams is coming back, British
star Katie Bolter. There'll be another key we wild card
with Lulusun in the field on her ranking. Elena s
Fittelina and Emminavaro the top two seats fourteenth and fifteenth
respectively in the current WTA World rankings. The women's tournament
(09:48):
January five through eleven, then the men's through until the
seventeenth of January.
Speaker 1 (09:54):
For more from Weekend Sport with Jason Fine, listen live
to news talks it'd be weekends from midday, or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio
You're listening to the Weekend Sport podcast with Jason Vine
from News Talk ZEDB.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Slam tennis champion Meantime and previous winner of the ASB Classic.
We'll both return to the women's field in twenty twenty six.
American Sloan Stevens is one of the four wild cards
for the tournament, alongside seven time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams,
British star Katie Bolter, and yet to be determined Kei We.
The field is headlined by Ukraine's Alinas Fitelina and American
(00:35):
Emma Navarro. They are fourteenth and fifteenth, respectively in the
current WTA World rankings. The tournament runs from January five
to eleven and is immediately followed by the men's tournament
of course, through until January seventeenth. Tournament director Nicholas lamper
And is with us on Weekend Sport. Nicholas, congratulations on
the women's field. It looks great. Are you happy with it?
Speaker 3 (00:57):
We're all extremely happy about the field that we've we've
managed to put together. You know, every time we start
from at blank page, and it's always a bit of
a challenge to kind of bring the players that we
have in mind. I think the draw that we have
is a good reflection of you know, some established players
(01:19):
who've been you know, regular in the top ten. You
know players like Elena's Vitulina or em and Varro, you know,
world famous name like Venice Williams, but also the young
generation with the likes of A. A. La Yovic or
Yannis Kin.
Speaker 2 (01:37):
Yeah, I want to ask about those younger players. The
ASP Classic has a great reputation of providing opportunities for
promising young players that go on to find success in
their careers. The likes of Cocoa Golf and Bianca Andrei Escu.
Tell us a bit more about some of the younger
players that we can look forward to saying this year.
Speaker 3 (01:56):
Yeah, I mean we're always really proud to say that.
You know, those players started in Auckland and it was
the very first step of the big journey to the
to the top of the rankings. So we scout them
twelve to six months ahead of the tournament, and this
year we decided to go for Iva Yovich. You know,
(02:16):
she made some really good results on the tour. She
was aged seventeen and she managed to win a first
of BT at five hundred tournaments, so she's only eighteen
and she's coming to open for the first year. The
second one is Alexandra Aerla. She left the Philippines at
a young age, went all the way to Spain, based
(02:37):
herself in Majoca at the rough Underdella Academy. Also won
the first tournament this year and you know, very very
talented lefty and already a huge star in the Philippines.
First time ever that the Philippines have a player ranked
within the top fifty. And the last one is Yennistien
a bit of a different story. Decided to go to
(02:57):
college first, you know, just to become a bit stronger,
get more experience, and she went from being unranged thin
a year ago to being now a top fifty player
in the course of the last twelve months, which is
a remarkable achievement.
Speaker 2 (03:14):
Look forward to seeing those young players in action. I
guess at the other end of the experienced scale. Venus
Williams back for her seventh appearance at the ASP Classic.
How much interest does she still generate for you?
Speaker 3 (03:27):
Venus is huge. You don't know how much pressure I
gets from the people of the office to sign Venice
every year. It's really the the player that everybody wants
to see year after year. This year was a little
bit different because she she had been off for a
while and we were not really quite sure about what
the plans were going to be. And then over the
(03:49):
summer she gave us some indication that she was back
and that she wanted to play some more. So, after
witnessing the level that she displayed in the US, we
decided to go after her and then we managed to
secure a participation.
Speaker 2 (04:05):
Elena's Selena and Emmanavro fourteenth and fifteenth in the world currently.
How happy are you, Nicholas would that pair as your
top two seats.
Speaker 3 (04:14):
I think it's great to have bought the number fourteen
and number fifteen. Last year the top seed was made
some keys and she was, if I remember correctly, twenty
one in the world, so it's an improvement from last
year the top fifteen player. By the same time, they
spend a lot of time in the top ten and
I have a feeling this is where they belongs. So
(04:36):
for them to be in Auckland in week one, I
think it creates the perfect pathway to start the season strong,
be ambitious and do well for the rest of the
season and the.
Speaker 2 (04:47):
Week two new Zealanders in the field, Lulu Sun qualifying
directly under her world ranking. Now that allows a second
key We to compete as a confirmed wild card. How
much of a boost is that to you to know
that there's going to be two Keywis involved in the
women's tournament.
Speaker 3 (05:01):
Well, we always want to have as many Keywis as
possible in the draw in his learning, and obviously people
want to see the locals do well. Lulu had a
strong finish which gave her the opportunity to enter directly
on ranking, and at the same time it opens an
opportunity for another World cut to qualify. So there's a
(05:25):
race system in place which is based on results over
the last twelve months. Two more tournaments to play, one
this week in Hamilton, another one in Papamoa, and once
those tournaments are over will have a better indication who
will be the player eligible for that last worldout.
Speaker 2 (05:46):
Well look forward to seeing who that second key We is.
Beyond the women's tournament, the men's tournament of course, and
great news this week you've confirmed the return of Casper
Route for the men's tournament. We've seen them here, but
it was almost a bit of a not a non event,
but you know, conditions conspired against you last time Casper
was here. How significant to have a coming back for
(06:07):
you though.
Speaker 3 (06:08):
Yeah, I mean Casper came last time in twenty twenty
three was a bit of a sad situation whereby we
had a lot of rain, he had to play indoor,
it was late at night, and no one got a
chance to see him. I think at the time he
had just played the final at the US Open. He
was number two and number three in the world, so
it was real shame for our funds not to be
(06:31):
able to see him player on court. So it was
always in the back of my mind that I would
like him to return one day, and I'm super happy
that we managed to get it done for twenty twenty six.
Speaker 2 (06:43):
And of course we had news a couple of months
ago of government investment into a roof on center Court
at your venue there at Stanley Street, possibly as early
as as twenty twenty seven. We wait to see how
much confidence, though, will that give you moving forward in
terms of the tournament, the players you're going to track,
in security that the roof will give you in terms
of weather conditions.
Speaker 3 (07:04):
It's crucial for us to have an infrastructure and a
stadium that is up to the standards. This year we
started a lot of renovation around the venue by extending
Saint Court by replacing one of the stands, increasing the
capacity of the stadium, and then the second step will
be to have the roof on. So we almost there
(07:26):
in terms of funding, which is waiting a final confirmation,
which I'm being told should happen very very soon. And
you know, once we have this new facility in place,
it's really going to help us deal with the conditions.
We know they can be very wet or very windy
in Auckland and sometimes it gets stuck in players' minds.
(07:48):
So for us to be able to tell players that
now in the conditions are going to be ideal will
help us to continue to bring the top ten of
the future.
Speaker 2 (08:00):
Very exciting times and ticket sales no doubt going well
for this year's or early twenty twenty. So with the
women's feel confirmed now some exciting names and the means
tickets will be we're going well, no doubt.
Speaker 3 (08:13):
Yeah, it sells are going extremely well. Were a couple
of thousands above what we had last time at the
same at the same period so extremely happy. We still
have some tickets available, but it's going really really really well.
Speaker 2 (08:29):
Great to hear. Great and hear in the next all
of this organizing all of these tennis players on the tournament,
you spend a bit of time at go Media Stadium
watching Auckland. If so as well, you become a Black
Knights fan as well, I understand, Yeah, I do.
Speaker 3 (08:41):
I do love my my auklindess. He I come with
my kids as much as I can. We we we
big Liverpool fans in the family, so it's slightly different.
But it's nice to be able to relate to a
team locally. And uh, last year, actually I invited your
rookie Psychi to the tournament, you know when when now
(09:04):
Musica was playing, so it was great and then he
came with I think Tommy Smith came as well. He
was taking photos with immar Ret Canue and but yeah,
it was it was nice to have the players around.
Speaker 2 (09:16):
Nice connection, wonderful stuff. Nicholas. Again, thank you for chatting
to us. Well done on this awesome women's field. Look
forward to catching up again when the tournament draws closer.
Speaker 3 (09:24):
Yeah, my pleasure.
Speaker 2 (09:25):
Thanks very much, No, thank you, Nicholas Nicholas Lamper and
they're the tournament director of the ASP Classics. So Sloan
Stevens is coming back, Venus Williams is coming back, British
star Katie Bolter. There'll be another key we wild card
with Lulusun in the field on her ranking. Elena s
Fittelina and Emminavaro the top two seats fourteenth and fifteenth
respectively in the current WTA World rankings. The women's tournament
(09:48):
January five through eleven, then the men's through until the
seventeenth of January.
Speaker 1 (09:54):
For more from Weekend Sport with Jason Fine, listen live
to news talks it'd be weekends from midday, or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio
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