WTA Nottingham — Lexus Nottingham Open 2026

The Lexus Nottingham Open continues over a century of tennis tradition in Nottingham, United Kingdom. This WTA 250 event is contested on outdoor grass courts and features 32 singles players and 16 doubles teams, and is an important stop on the road to Wimbledon. This tournament is played at Nottingham Tennis Centre — a world-class venue, mixing a rich history with state-of-the-art playing surfaces.

Key Tournament Facts for 2026

Qualifying for the WTA event took place on Saturday 13 June, with the main draw running from Monday 15 June through to Sunday 21 June.

The Venue — Nottingham Tennis Centre

The Lexus Nottingham Tennis Centre — the largest public tennis centre in Great Britain — plays home to the Lexus Nottingham Open. Just outside the city centre, the Lexus Nottingham Tennis Centre boasts over 40 tennis courts, including 13 world-class grass courts.

The Women’s Field in 2026

The 2026 Nottingham Open featured Iva Jovic, Leylah Fernandez, Marie Bouzkova, Jelena Ostapenko, Zheng Qinwen and Karolína Plíšková among the leading players, making for a strong and varied entry list.

Top seed Iva Jovic came into the tournament bidding to add a second grass-court trophy to her résumé. The 18-year-old sprinted to the WTA 125 title in Ilkley the previous year — her first professional tournament on grass — before coming through qualifying to reach the main draw at Wimbledon. The rising star had already proven she has the game to succeed on the surface, and with two WTA titles to her name and a career-high ranking of world No. 17, she was among the favourites to take the title in Nottingham.

Prize Money in 2026

The winner of the WTA singles event receives $37,390 in prize money, with the finalist taking home $22,125.

Recent Champions in Nottingham

The tournament has developed a strong tradition of producing grass-court champions and creating moments of genuine significance for British tennis:

• 2021: Johanna Konta defeated Zhang Shuai 6–2, 6–1 in the final — becoming the first British player to win a WTA Tour singles title on home soil since Sue Barker in 1981.
• 2022: Beatriz Haddad Maia defeated Alison Riske 6–4, 1–6, 6–3 — it was her first WTA Tour singles title, and she became the first Brazilian to win a WTA Tour title on grass since Maria Bueno in 1968.
• 2023: Katie Boulter defeated Jodie Burrage 6–3, 6–3 — it was Boulter’s first WTA Tour title, and both finalists were British, making it the first WTA Tour event in which both finalists represented the host nation.
• 2024: Katie Boulter retained her title, defeating Karolína Plíšková 4–6, 6–3, 6–2 — becoming the first woman in the tournament’s history to defend the title, and only the second player to win it twice after Elena Baltacha.
• 2025: McCartney Kessler claimed her first grass-court title, defeating Dayana Yastremska 6–4, 7–5.

The Men’s ATP Challenger Event

The men’s ATP Challenger Tour 125 event runs alongside the women’s WTA 250 tournament throughout the week. The 2025 men’s singles title was won by Marin Čilić, with the doubles crown going to Santiago González and Austin Krajicek.

Nottingham and Wimbledon — The Pathway to the Grass-Court Grand Slam

The 2026 Nottingham Open is a key stop en route towards Wimbledon. For players seeking grass-court form and confidence ahead of the All England Club, Nottingham offers invaluable match practice on a genuinely high-quality surface. The fact that it runs concurrently with the WTA 500 in Berlin means players must make a strategic choice about where to commit — with both events offering valuable ranking points and Wimbledon preparation.

How to Watch

Live coverage of the WTA event is available across BBC digital services — including BBC iPlayer and BBC Sport — and on Tennis Channel. The ATP Challenger event is available to stream via Challenger TV.