The Rothesay International Eastbourne is widely considered to be a warm-up event for The Championships, Wimbledon, taking place the week before the iconic tournament. As a result, it’s the last chance that many players get to practice on the grass courts before Wimbledon begins - this often draws many big-name players to Devonshire Park. We take a look at some of these players who have competed in the Eastbourne International, how they fared in the competition and how you can enjoy this exhilarating event.
Big Names In Tennis
The Eastbourne International has been part of the Men’s ATP tour since 2009; since then, a number of big names in the tennis world have graced the courts. Former World No.1 Andy Roddick triumphed in Eastbourne in 2012 after beating defending champion, Andreas Seppi 6-3, 6-2. This win at Eastbourne would prove to be his last ever title as he retired later that year. Being his only title in 2012, winning at Eastbourne made Roddick the only male tennis player, besides Rodger Federer to have won at least one title every year for 12 years – a special moment for Eastbourne attendees for sure!
Another Eastbourne International star and former Queen’s Club champion Feliciano Lopez; after winning Eastbourne for the first time in 2013, he is the only person in the ATP competition to successfully defend his title to win the competition for a second time in 2014.
In 2017 Novak Djokovic played in the Eastbourne International after receiving a wildcard into the main draw. He beat Daniil Medvedev in the semi-final and Gael Monfils in the final to become Champion. Djokovic didn’t lose a single set during the 2017 Eastbourne International and then went on to win Wimbledon four times in a row in 2018, 2019, 2021 and 2022. Eastbourne certainly plays up to its name as the Wimbledon warm up event here!
In the women’s competition, Eastbourne has hosted many of the greats through the years. These greats include the likes of Chris Evert, Billie Jean King and Martina Navratilova, who combined championed at Eastbourne eleven times between 1978 and 1993. More recently, the most decorated player in the world, Serena Williams, took to the courts at Eastbourne in the 2022 doubles competition. Paired with world No.2 Ons Jabeur, they made it to the semi-finals before having to pull out due to Ons Jabeur suffering a knee injury. Maybe this year we will also see Emma Raducanu grace the Devonshire Park courts, as she unfortunately missed out on playing the 2022 Eastbourne International.
British Tennis Players at Eastbourne
Many of the big British tennis players have played in the Eastbourne International in the past few years too. This includes, the poster boy for British tennis, Sir Andy Murray, who has competed at Eastbourne in both the singles and doubles competitions through the years.
The 2022 Eastbourne International saw a number of brits compete; Dan Evans was unfortunately knocked out in the round of 16 and Cameron Norrie was able to make it as far as the quarter finals. However, it was 20-year-old Jack Draper who did the best, making it all the way to the semi-final. Draper took the 2022 tennis season in his grasp and produced some stunning performances in the season – he is definitely a player to keep an eye on…
Wimbledon Warm-up Tournament
As the last ATP and WTA competition before The Championships, Wimbledon, Eastbourne International is a beacon for those wishing to compete for the Grand Slam title. Novak Djokovic enjoyed success at Eastbourne in 2017 before going on to win The Championships four times in a row from 2018 to 2022. In fact, out of the last 5 Wimbledon Lady’s Champions, 4 of them competed at Eastbourne just weeks before The Championships. It doesn’t stop there! Out of the current top 20 women’s ranked players, 19 of them have competed in at least one of the last three Eastbourne Internationals.
Eastbourne is, arguably, the perfect Wimbledon warm-up tournament as it allows players to get practice on a grass surface - and many players know it! Who will grace the courts in 2023? Will one of them go on to win The Championships? And who is the best British tennis player of all time?
Find out how to book your place for the 2023 Eastbourne International here!
