The Lawn Tennis Association is to host a new WTA event in June 2015 at the Nottingham Tennis Centre, it can be announced.
The event forms part of the LTA’s plans in partnership with the All England Club to provide world class grass court tennis in all three weeks between the French Open and The Championships, Wimbledon.
The $250,000 event will take place in the week after the French Open, and form a key part of the Nottingham Tennis Festival, under plans agreed with Nottingham City Council.
The LTA's tournament director at Nottingham, Paul Hutchins, said: "Nottingham Tennis Centre not only boasts exceptional grass courts, but there is also extensive additional space to use the event to inspire more people from the local area to try tennis. I would like to thank Nottingham City Council for their support in this event, and in promoting tennis across the city."
Nottingham already hosts the Aegon Trophy and Aegon Nottingham Challenge men and women's grass court events in the lead in to The Championships, Wimbledon.
Nottingham City Council’s Portfolio Holder for Culture and Leisure, Councillor Dave Trimble, said: “I am absolutely delighted that Nottingham will host this new WTA event in the lead up to Wimbledon in 2015. The agreement to host the event for three years will mean the people of Nottingham can watch the best women's tennis players from around the world in the city and hopefully will then be inspired to take up a racket and play.
“I am particularly pleased the event will include a children's festival of tennis alongside the main championship and having hundreds of children on Nottingham Tennis Centre courts will hopefully lead to more Nottingham youngsters taking up the game on a regular basis.”
The new WTA event in Nottingham will take place in early June and will be followed in the second week after the French Open by the Aegon Classic at Birmingham's Edgbaston Priory Club, and in week three by the Aegon International at Eastbourne's Devonshire Park.
Philip Brook, chairman of the All England Club, said: "The creation of a three-week gap between Roland Garros and Wimbledon will establish a longer and more significant grass-court season within the international tennis calendar.
"In addition to the added entertainment potential for fans, this will have the substantial benefit of building a grass-court tournament structure of genuine substance and, critically, of allowing the players more time to rest and recover from Roland Garros and then to prepare for the Championships.
"I wish to thank the WTA and all the parties concerned for their commitment and support in bringing this exciting prospect to fruition from 2015."