![]() ![]() ![]() Given the very short nature of the grass season- fans should certainly treat the challenger tournaments as part of the grass season. Often, Wimbledon grass courts are hampered by the wear and tear of constant play- but these earlier tournaments lend viewers a real chance to appreciate the lush green grass on TV or online. The tournament may not draw as much fanfare, but the grass here at these more intimate tournaments is simply incredible. Alex de Minaur also won Nottingham, this time in 2018, a year before his breakout season of 2019 where he won 3 ATP titles and made a further 2 finals. Nick Kyrgios won the Nottingham Challenger event in 2013, before storming onto the men’s tennis scene and defeating then world number 1 Rafael Nadal at Wimbledon. Interestingly enough, each player has won the tournament the year prior to a breakout season. ![]() Alex de Minaur, Dan Evans (twice), Frances Tiafoe, and Nick Kyrgios are all players who have hoisted the trophy at the conclusion of the Nottingham Open. In year’s gone by, Nottingham has been the breeding ground for champions of the future. Thanasi Kokkinakis, seeded 6th, will also be making his appearance at this tournament, alongside top 100 player Dominic Stricker. The draw for this year’s edition is just as stacked as ever before. “I’ve chosen to come and play here, and in Nottingham (next week) to hopefully get lots of matches under my belt – so this week has been the perfect start,” Murray said. Already, the former world number 1 had this to say leading up to the tournament: After two years of challenges due to Covid-19, we very much look forward to opening our doors to full capacity crowds once again and it will be great to welcome the players to an event that is so important to the thriving sporting community in Nottingham and the surrounding area.Although only a challenger level tournament, this superb grass court tournament will be the next step stone on the redemption arc of Andy Murray. "Having a Grand Slam champion on our entry list in Sofia Kenin highlights the appeal of our tournament and 2022 Madrid Open winner Ons Jabeur will be a star attraction for fans. “It will be exciting to continue the British grass court season in Nottingham with a high-quality field of players for the WTA 250 event," said Tournament Director, Rebecca James. In addition to the WTA tournament, there will be an ATP Challenger Tour event on the Nottingham grass, with entry lists for that event set to be confirmed soon. Meanwhile, America’s Jessica Pegula, currently at a career-high ranking of No.11, is a confirmed entry, with Australia’s Ajla Tomljanovic also set to play in Nottingham after her run to the Wimbledon quarter-finals last year. ![]() Injury problems have hampered her progress since, but Kenin will be eager to shine on British grass courts this summer. Grand Slam winner Sofia Kenin will be part of a strong field in Nottingham, with the 23-year-old keen to get back to her best form after winning the 2020 Australian Open and reaching the final of the French Open late that year as she rose to No.4 in the WTA rankings. Tickets are still available for the Rothesay Nottingham Open and all of our grass court summer events here: Two former Nottingham Open champions are also set to return to the tournament this summer, with France’s 2019 winner Caroline Garcia joined by Croatia’s 2015 victor Ana Konjuh in the draw. Jabeur, is currently ranked at No.7 in the WTA rankings thanks to a solid start to the year that has also included a run to the final of the WTA 500 event in Charleston, USA. That victory ensured she became the first Arab woman to capture a WTA title and her win at the Mutua Madrid Open last Sunday ensured the 27-year-old became the first African woman to win a WTA 1000 event. ![]()
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