Four-time winner David Ferrer is a wildcard entry into the Auckland tennis classic, making him the top seed.
The world No.7 has accepted the wildcard after his surprise defeat in the Qatar Open, going down in the opening round to Ilya Marchenko of Ukraine 7-6 3-6 2-6.
The 33-year-old Spaniard's inclusion in the Auckland men's draw means the top four seeds will be ranked inside the top 12, which is unprecedented for the tournament.
The other big names are French world No.10 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, two-time winner John Isner of the United States and South African Kevin Anderson.
"It's huge for this tournament to have David Ferrer back for another year," tournament director Karl Budge said.
"He has been so loyal to us and is a huge crowd favourite. We are pleased to welcome him back to have another crack at the title."
Ferrer is tied with Australian Roy Emerson for most titles in Auckland.
