From it's iconic location on the South Coast to the return of the defending champions and next gen stars, we outline four reasons to be excited for the upcoming event in Eastbourne.

Tennis returns to the South Coast

Tennis by the coast - what more could you want?

Devonshire Park, home to the Lexus Eastbourne Open, is one of the most unique venues on the tennis circuit. The historic grass court tennis venue is located just a stone’s throw away from the beach and is one of the oldest in the world having been founded in 1894.

This year marks the 51st edition of the tournament and it’s set to be one to remember. From a star-studded entry list on the WTA and ATP side to a packed wheelchair entry list and plenty of activities to take part in around the venue, the Lexus Eastbourne Open is the perfect way to see out the last tournament on the grass before Wimbledon.

Read our Lexus Eastbourne Open preview

Find out everything that’s going on in Eastbourne

Reigning champions return to defend title

Defending champions Daria Kasatkina and Taylor Fritz will be Eastbourne-bound once again as they look to take home the title for the second year in a row.

2024 saw Kasatkina show her dominant grass court game to defeat Britain’s Emma Raducanu and Roland Garros and Wimbledon runner-up Jasmine Paolini on her way to the final where she took down Leylah Fernandez. In winning the tournament, Kasatkina made it third time lucky in grass court finals, having reached additional finals in Eastbourne and Birmingham in recent years.

The Australian is joined by a host of other grass court champions, including, Barbora Krejcikova, Jelena Ostapenko and Ons Jabeur, who will all be gunning to knock Kasatkina off the podium.

Fritz is a name everyone knows at Eastbourne, having last year established himself as the only men’s player to win three singles titles at Devonshire Park.

The US Open runner-up lifted his first title at the tournament in 2019 before going on to claim victory once again in 2022 and 2024 where he sealed his hat-trick with a convincing 6-4, 6-3 win over Max Purcell.

It’s safe to say the American will be one to fear heading into the tournament, but can he extend his historic run by making it four tiles in six years?

Next gen stars set their eyes on the prize

While you can expect to see some established players in Eastbourne, there’s also a wealth of next gen stars looking to cause an upset and make a name for themselves on the grass.

Among those is Joao Fonseca - the 18-year-old Brazilian who has taken the tennis world by storm. Fonseca was hailed by his home fans as a prodigy and has certainly lived up to the expected during what has been a breakthrough year on the ATP tour.

The reigning Nitto Next Gen champion has skyrocketed into the world’s top 100 and has so far claimed one ATP Challenger and a maiden ATP tour-level crown this season.

Challenging him will be Jakub Mensik, who’s announced his arrival at the Miami Open this year where he defeated the likes of Jack Draper, Arthur Fils, Fritz and 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic on his way to clinching a first Masters 1000 title.

The Czech star has since gone on to reach a career-high ranking of world No.19 and will be hoping he can carry his form into the grass court swing.

Witness world-class wheelchair tennis… and give it a go yourself!

Alongside the wheelchair tennis main draw - which is set to feature the likes of leading British stars Gordon Reid, Andy Lapthorne, Greg Slade and Lucy Shuker - spectators will also be able to watch a Para standing and wheelchair tennis exhibition match on Saturday 28 June.

Para standing tennis is a format of our sport for people with physical impairments who want to play tennis without the use of a wheelchair. It’s an evolving, new format which opens more opportunities for the para standing community to play, compete and enjoy the benefits of tennis - no matter their ages, background or level.

After watching the exhibition match, you’ll also be able to have a go at wheelchair tennis yourself and get a taste of just how incredible our professional wheelchair athletes are.

If you’re attending the Lexus Eastbourne Open between Thursday 26 and Saturday 28 June, be sure to head down and check out the pros in action. As well as home favourites Reid, Shuker and Paralympic silver medallists Lapthorne and Slade, you’ll also be able to sit back and watch 21 of the top-20 players across men’s, women's and quad level in action.

You won’t want to miss it!