America's success on the South Coast: US champions return to defend Eastbourne legacy
• 3 minute read
American players have dominated on the grass at the Lexus Eastbourne Open over the years, having picked up a record 29 singles titles on the South Coast.
With two US players in both the women’s and the men’s draw this year, can they continue the tradition?
Two are past Eastbourne winners already – two-time champion Madison Keys and four-time titleholder Taylor Fritz have returned to compete for the crown alongside compatriots McCartney Kessler and Brandon Nakashima.
Fritz will be hunting down a historic fifth men’s singles title at Devonshire Park after lifting the trophy in 2019, 2022, 2024 and 2025. Speaking after his 2025 final he stated “There’s something about Eastbourne – I just love it here.”
The world No.9 picked up his first ATP at the event in 2019, becoming the second American man to lift the trophy after Andy Roddick in 2012.
Fritz defeated third seed Kyle Edmund in the semi-final before taking down fellow American Sam Querrey in the final 6-3, 6-4.
His most recent title saw him become the first man to achieve back-to-back wins in Eastbourne. He moved past rising star Joao Fonseca, compatriot Marcos Giron and Alejandro Davidovich Fokina on his way to the final.
The last match was another all-American affair - the eleventh American final in singles history - as the Friz saw off Jenson Brooksby 7-5, 6-1 to pick up his fifth title on grass – the most of any active player behind Novak Djokovic (8).
American Lexus Eastbourne Open champions
- 1974 - Chris Evert
- 1976 - Chris Evert
- 1979 - Chris Evert
- 1980 - Tracy Austin
- 1981 - Tracy Austin
- 1982 - Martina Navratilova
- 1983 - Martina Navratilova
- 1984 - Martina Navratilova
- 1985 - Martina Navratilova
- 1986 - Martina Navratilova
- 1988 - Martina Navratilova
- 1989 - Martina Navratilova
- 1990 - Martina Navratilova
- 1991 - Martina Navratilova
- 1992 - Lori McNeil
- 1993 - Martina Navratilova
- 1994 - Meredith McGrath
- 1996 - Monica Seles
- 2001 - Lindsay Davenport
- 2002 - Chanda Rubin
- 2003 - Chanda Rubin
- 2012 - Andy Roddick
- 2014 - Madison Keys
- 2019 - Taylor Fritz
- 2022 - Taylor Fritz
- 2023 - Madison Keys
- 2024 - Taylor Fritz
- 2025 - Taylor Fritz
Keys returns to the South Coast hoping to pick up her third crown after winning her first grass court title there back in 2014.
The American came through a tough three-set match against German fifth seed Angelique Kerber 6-3, 3-6, 7-5 in the final.
Her 2023 trophy run saw Keys defeat compatriot and fifth seed Coco Gauff in the semis before seeing off ninth seed Daria Kasatkina to take her second Eastbourne crown.
Keys joins a long list of American women who’ve had success at the tournament, most notably Martina Navratilova, who holds the record for the most singles titles with 11.
The former world No.1, who often referred to returning to Eastbourne as “coming home”, made history when she won the tournament for five years in a row between 1982-1986.
Her bond with the town runs so deep that she was even granted the freedom of Eastbourne – the town's highest civic honour – in 2005.
America’s Chris Evert also won the first instalment of the trophy in 1974 - defeating Britain’s Virginia Wade 7-5, 6-4 in the final.
The three-time Wimbledon champion would go on to lift the trophy again in 1976 and 1979, as well as missing out in the final when Navratilova picked up her first title in 1978.
American dominance was so strong in Eastbourne that from 1976-1986 an American woman lifted the title – Navratilova, Evert, or Tracy Austin (1980, 1981).
More recently, Lindsay Davenport picked up the 2001 title before Chanda Rubin went back-to-back in 2002 and 2003 to provide another American title run before Madison Keys brought the trophy back to America again.
Find out if the Americans can continue their dominance at the Lexus Eastbourne Open when the tournament kicks off on Monday 22 June.
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