Lexus Nottingham Open 2026: Katie Boulter and Harriet Dart set for first-round clash in Nottingham
• 2 minute read
The draws have been announced for the WTA 250 and ATP Challenger events at the Lexus Nottingham Open, as a world-class entry list prepares to contest the crown.
Here’s a rundown of who the British players will face at the Lexus Nottingham Open and their paths through the draw.
Lexus Nottingham Open 2026: First-round draws
WTA
- Emma Raducanu (GBR) vs Qualifier
- Francesca Jones (GBR) vs Talia Gibson (AUS)
- Katie Boulter (GBR) vs Harriet Dart (GBR)
ATP
- Billy Harris (GBR) (seeded 10) vs Coleman Wong (HKG) (seeded 4)
- Jacob Fearnley (GBR) vs Dane Sweeny (AUS)
- Felix Gill (GBR) vs Hugo Gaston (FRA) (seeded 5)
- Oliver Tarvet (GBR) vs Roman Safiullin
Headlining the first-round matches is an all-British clash between wild cards Katie Boulter and Harriet Dart.
The pair are extremely familiar with each other’s games, having played eight times throughout their careers. Boulter currently leads the head-to-head 6–2, but it was Dart who won their most recent meeting at Wimbledon in 2024, meaning it will be all to play for in Nottingham.
Meanwhile, like Boulter, Emma Raducanu arrives in red-hot form off the back of a semi-final run at the HSBC Championships. The British No.1 has made a fantastic start to her grass-court campaign and will look to continue that momentum when she makes the journey to Nottingham.
Raducanu will face a qualifier in the first round and will be targeting another deep run on home soil.
Francesca Jones faces a tough opener against in-form Talia Gibson, who has enjoyed a bright start to the 2026 season. Highlights include a quarter-final run at Indian Wells and a third-round appearance at the Miami Open. She also won the Lexus Birmingham Open doubles title last week alongside Janice Tjen.
Elsewhere, HSBC Championships semi-finalist and top seed Iva Jovic has lined up a blockbuster first-round clash against former world No.1 Karolina Pliskova. Paris Paralympic champion Qinwen Zheng will take on Maria Sakkari, while second seed Leylah Fernandez faces Janice Tjen.
In the men’s draw, Billy Harris will take on fourth seed Coleman Wong for the second time in a month, after the Brit lost to the world No.108 in the first round of qualifying at Roland Garros just a few weeks ago. Both players have picked up wins on grass this summer, but Harris will be hoping home support can help carry him through.
Wild card Felix Gill also faces a seeded opponent in the opening round, taking on Frenchman Hugo Gaston in their first career meeting. Gill has already played three matches on grass this season, while the Lexus Nottingham Open will mark Gaston’s first grass-court tournament of the year.
Should he overcome the fifth seed, Gill could be set to face freshly crowned Lexus Birmingham Open champion Yunchaokete Bu.
Jacob Fearnley heads to Nottingham following a semi-final appearance in Ilkley and will begin his campaign against Australia’s Dane Sweeny. He will be aiming to carry that momentum into the tournament where he won his first ATP Challenger title two years ago.
Finally, Oliver Tarvet will kick-start his bid for a maiden ATP Challenger title against former top-40 player Roman Safiullin. Tarvet arrives in Nottingham having reached the quarter-finals in Ilkley and will be hoping to go even further this week.
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