Former world No1 Justine Henin has confirmed she will make her competitive tennis comeback at the Brisbane International in January.
The seven-time Grand Slam winner said yesterday she was excited about returning to the sport in Brisbane.
''After a 15-months absence I am pleased to begin my second tennis career at the Brisbane International,'' Henin said in a statement.
''It will be great to get back to playing competitive tennis again and with the strong field, the same court surface and a similar climate to Melbourne, it will be the perfect preparation leading into the Australian Open.''
Henin joins a stellar field at the tournament with US Open champion and fellow comeback star Kim Clijsters also playing, along with former French Open champion Ana Ivanovic and Australia's Jelena Dokic.
Tournament director Steve Ayles said he was excited to have Henin join the big names coming to Brisbane.
''2010 is shaping up to be a blockbuster event,'' Ayles said.
''With the appearance of Justine, the tennis world spotlight will be on Brisbane come January and the tournament will be taken to a whole new level.
''It will be tremendous to see Justine match up against her former rival and countrywoman Kim Clijsters.''
Henin was the world No1 for 117 non-consecutive weeks and has won more than $US19million ($A20.43million) in prize money.
She won her first WTA event as an 18-year-old on the Gold Coast in 2000 and has won 41 WTA tour titles throughout her career.
Henin will be given one of four women's wildcards into Brisbane as she has no current WTA ranking.
She announced her retirement from professional tennis on May14 last year when she was the reigning world No1.
On retiring, Henin requested that the WTA remove her name from the rankings immediately.
The 27-year-old is due to play two exhibition tournaments in Charleroi and Dubai later this year to gain match play before her tournament return. Meanwhile Australia's top women's player, Samantha Stosur, has given the embattled administration of Tennis Australia the thumbs up.
Stosur's vote of confidence came as high profile former administrator Paul McNamee prepares to challenge TA president Geoff Pollard for his post.
The showdown will come during a vote at a board meeting next Monday.
Stosur, who has shot to No13 in the world after winning the Japan Open last weekend, became the first senior player to give the organisation a public tick of approval.
Men's No1 Lleyton Hewitt and former Davis Cup player John Alexander recently called for a change at the top.
The pair publicly threw their weight behind McNamee, who held the reins as Australian Open tournament director before moving on to Golf Australia and, briefly, AFL club Melbourne.
Stoser, said yesterday the state of the game in Australia was not as gloomy as some had painted it.
''I actually think it's in a great position right now,'' Stosur said.
''I think Tennis Australia's doing a very good job. Over the last few years they've made a lot of changes and some of the benefits of those changes maybe we haven't been able to see yet.
''But all those things take time.
''For me, personally, I really couldn't say that there's anything wrong going on in Tennis Australia right now.''
Stosur, who will play alongside Hewitt in the McNamee-run Hopman Cup in January, refused to comment on the Victorian's potential as a Tennis Australia boss. AAP