Plans to strengthen the grass court season between the French Open and The Championships, Wimbledon took another significant step forward today with the news that Nottingham is to host an ATP 250 men’s event during the week before Wimbledon from 2015.
The new tournament will see the event move from Eastbourne’s Devonshire Park, enabling the draw size to increase to a 48-man draw, up from 28 players in previous years.
Eastbourne will continue to host the Aegon International, a WTA Premier event which will also feature a larger player field of 48 from 2015, featuring many of the world’s top female players.
From 2015, the ATP World Tour and WTA Tour British grass court season will run as follows:
2015 Grass Court Season 8-14 June (week 1)
- Aegon WTA at Nottingham Tennis Centre (WTA)
2015 Grass Court Season 15-21 June (week 2)
- Aegon Championships at The Queen’s Club, London (ATP World Tour 500)
- Aegon Classic at Edgbaston Priory Club, Birmingham (WTA Premier)
2015 Grass Court Season 22-28 June (week 3)
- Aegon International at Devonshire Park, Eastbourne (WTA Premier)
- Aegon 250 at Nottingham Tennis Centre (ATP World Tour 250)
2015 Grass Court Season 29 June -12 July (weeks 4 and 5)
- The Championships, Wimbledon
LTA Chief Executive Michael Downey said: “Nottingham is a great city with a rich sporting pedigree and I’m delighted that we are bringing this international tournament back to the area which will help to inspire more people to play and follow tennis. The weeks in the lead up to Wimbledon are a vital time for players to find their feet on grass, and the Nottingham Tennis Centre boasts some of the finest grass courts in the country.”
Nottingham City Council’s Portfolio Holder for Leisure and Culture, Councillor Dave Trimble, said: “I am absolutely delighted that Nottingham will host the men’s ATP World Tour 250 tournament in the lead up to Wimbledon in 2015. With this prestigious men's event and the new women’s WTA tournament which is also coming to Nottingham Tennis Centre from 2015, the people of Nottingham can watch the best tennis players from around the world in the city and hopefully will then be inspired to take up a racket and play.”
The second week after Roland Garros will feature the Aegon Championships at The Queen’s Club, which will be re-categorised to an ATP World Tour 500 event from next year, and the Aegon Classic at Birmingham’s Edgbaston Priory Club, which has already been upgraded to a WTA Premier tournament this year.
Philip Brook, Chairman of The All England Lawn Tennis Club and The Championships, Wimbledon, said: “We have been delighted with the response to our initiative for the creation of a three-week gap between Roland Garros and Wimbledon and the establishment of a longer and more significant grass court season within the international tennis calendar. Nottingham has been a successful venue for grass court tennis and the new ATP250 event will offer the players another excellent opportunity to prepare for The Championships, while giving tennis fans the chance to see more top class tennis entertainment.”
Chris Kermode, ATP Tour Executive Chairman & President said: “We are delighted that the ATP World Tour will return to Nottingham from 2015, giving fans the opportunity to witness many of the world’s best athletes in action. The ATP has a long history in Nottingham and we look forward to the event playing a pivotal role in the overall grass-court season.”
Eastbourne Borough Council Spokesperson for Tourism & Leisure, Councillor Carolyn Heaps said: “It is fantastic news to see world class women’s tennis continue in Eastbourne in what will be the tournament’s 40th year. Devonshire Park has played a key role in the history of women’s tennis, creating many champions, and we are delighted to continue this partnership with the Lawn Tennis Association. Increasing the draw adds such a strong appeal to the event, for both top players and spectators, and we look forward to this exciting new dimension to the tournament from 2015.”
David Macmillan, Chief Marketing Officer Aegon UK, added: “We are delighted with this news because by summer 2015 the number of Aegon grass court tennis tournaments will have increased from three to five. This means more world class tennis for fans to enjoy and three weeks of Aegon events prior to Wimbledon.”
For more information go to www.lta.org.uk/fans-major-events. To find a playing partner, a local court or coach, register at www.allplaytennis.com.