The 24-year-old Harvard-graduate has a good history at her home tournament as she was the first American-born woman to reach the final in 2016, when she lost to current world number one Nour El Sherbini of Egypt.

However, she subsequently suffered a ruptured Achilles at the Ciudad de Floridablanca last March, meaning her world ranking has now dropped from sixth to 28th.

Sobhy, who is seeded 12th for the event at Grand Central Terminal in New York City, has expressed her excitement at getting back out onto the court with action beginning tomorrow.

She will begin against a qualifier.

"Recently, it has turned to eagerness and excitement but the past few weeks it has been a whole rollercoaster of emotions, from excitement, to doubt, to anxiety and panic, to excitement again," Sobhy said.

"It's crazy to think that I am finally getting back to competing again, it's been so long.

"This has been the most difficult journey I've ever had to encounter so far.

"When people told me the recovery process takes a long time, I had no idea it was going to be this difficult.

"The Tournament of Champions is by far my favourite tournament, so the timing could not be better having my return to the tour be at this tournament."

Women's singles favourite El Sherbini will face unseeded Joey Chan of Hong Kong in her first match whilst compatriot Raneem El Welily, who lost to El Sherbini in the final of the inaugural Saudi Masters last week, will go up against an unnamed qualifier.

France's Gregory Gaultier, who was runner-up last year, has been given the number one seeding for the men's competition and will start his campaign against Todd Harrity of the US.

Harrity's highest-ever world ranking was 45, which he achieved in June 2016.

Last year's men's champion Karim Abdel Gawad of Egypt will not be back to defend the title he holds, making compatriot Mohamed Elshorbagy, the 2015 and 2016 champion, the second seed behind Gaultier.

Elshorbagy, who won the PSA World Squash Championships in Manchester last year, will face Leo Au of Hong Kong in his first match of the competition.

The PSA Tournament of Champions will be held in Grand Central Terminal, one of the most iconic train stations in the world, until January 25.