British No. 1 and current World No. 7 Johanna Konta will head to Nottingham this June to compete in the Aegon Open Nottingham 2017. Konta has had an impressive start to the year, winning the Sydney International and reaching the quarter-finals of the Australian Open. Looking ahead to this exciting time of year Konta said;
“The grass court season is one of my favourites and this series of tournaments ahead of Wimbledon provides great preparation opportunities for me. Playing in front of a passionate crowd that is fully behind you is a special experience that not many players get: I know how lucky I am to be able to do that. The home fans really can make all the difference so I hope lots of people come out to cheer!”
Konta is not the only member of the GB Fed Cup team to set her sights on Nottingham this summer, as British No. 2 and reigning Wimbledon Mixed Doubles Champion, Heather Watson, will also be returning to the city.
Speaking to British Tennis, Heather said, “Nottingham is the ideal place to get an early feel for the grass and is a city and venue that really helps build the atmosphere of excitement ahead of Wimbledon. I've always enjoyed my time in Nottingham, where there is something extra special about playing in front of home fans for the first time during the summer. It is an important time of year, returning to play in Britain ahead of our home Grand Slam, and I'm looking forward to getting back on the grass in Nottingham."
GB Davis Cup heroes Kyle Edmund and Dan Evans will also be heading to Nottingham. Birmingham-based World No. 44 Evans reached the 4th round at this year’s Australian Open, an impressive run that included a victory over top 10 player and 2014 US Open champion Marin Cilic, and he will be keen to continue his great form in the build up to Wimbledon.
Dan said, “I can’t wait to get back to playing on home soil and in front of the home support. It’s my favourite time of the year and I want to put on a good performance during the grass court season. I’ve played at Nottingham a lot over the years and I always have fun playing there.”
Current world No. 41, Kyle Edmund, has also been in great form in 2017, reaching the quarter-finals in Brisbane and Delray Beach. He said, “I can't wait to be back on the grass again and in front of the British fans.”
Oliver Scadgell, the LTA’s Director of Major Events & Competitions said, “We are delighted to announce Dan and Kyle’s return to the British grass courts this summer. We know that fans love watching British players and both Kyle and Dan have a loyal following that will be keen to watch them in action. The 2017 grass court season is bigger and better than ever. There are exciting changes to both the Nottingham and Birmingham tournaments including the return of mixed events, giving fans the chance to watch the world’s best men and women on the same day.”
George Donnelly, the Aegon Open Nottingham WTA Tournament Director, said, “This year’s event presents fans with an exciting prospect of seeing the WTA stars alongside the ATP stars in what is the highest possible level of ATP Challenger so it will certainly be a thrilling week of tennis.”
Tara McGregor-Woodhams, Head of Brand and Sponsorship Aegon UK, commented, “We are proud to support our Davis Cup team and delighted that Dan and Kyle are returning to the grass courts this summer. The Aegon International Eastbourne and Aegon Open Nottingham are long standing features in the grass court calendar and we are looking forward to another exciting year. With some of the best grass court players in the world on show they are events not to be missed.”
With ten of the top 50 women’s players already confirmed for the Aegon Open Nottingham 2017, including the likes of former World No. 5 and 2015 French Open finalist Lucie Safarova, it’s sure to be a very exciting summer of tennis in the city. Nottingham Tennis Centre will host both the WTA tournament and Men's $150,000 ATP Challenger Tour event in the same week.
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