MELBOURNE, Australia — The lineup for qualifying spots in the upcoming Australian Open features prominent players receiving wild-card entries, including two-time Grand Slam winner Simona Halep and 16-year-old Cruz Hewitt, the son of tennis legend Lleyton Hewitt. The wild cards were announced on Wednesday for the qualifying rounds scheduled for next month.

Simona Halep, a 33-year-old Romanian athlete, has an impressive tennis career highlighted by a runner-up finish at the Australian Open in 2018 followed by victories at the French Open that same year and at Wimbledon in 2019. Although Halep has held the No. 1 ranking in the world, she currently finds herself at No. 877. Her absence from any Grand Slam event since 2022 is due to a 1.5-year ban resulting from a doping case, and she is gradually working her way back into competitive tennis.

Cruz Hewitt, who is yet to break into the top 1,000 in rankings, follows in the footsteps of his father Lleyton, who made his mark by debuting at the Australian Open at the young age of 15 after earning a wild card for qualifying. Lleyton, a two-time Grand Slam champion, retired in 2016 and was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2021. He is now fulfilling the role of Australia’s Davis Cup captain.

Other male players granted wild card entries for the qualifying rounds taking place from January 6 to 9 include Chris Eubanks, a quarterfinalist at Wimbledon in 2023, alongside former top 25 competitors Dan Evans and Bernard Tomic. The women’s side of the wild card recipients features notable names such as Sara Errani, a silver medalist in doubles at the Paris Olympics and a two-time Grand Slam finalist, as well as ranked players Petra Martic and Ana Konjuh.

The main draw of the Australian Open is set to commence on January 12 in Melbourne, promising an exciting start to the 2024 tennis season.