Preview: What tennis events are coming up in April 2023?
• 4 MINUTE READ
It’s that time of year where tennis makes the transition from hard courts to the clay. With not long to go until the start of the French Open, April’s tennis calendar is full of clay-court action that you don’t want to miss.
We’ve pulled together all the must-watch ATP, WTA and wheelchair tournaments for the upcoming month, so you can add them to your radar.
3–9 April: The clay court season gets underway on the ATP and WTA tours
Key events:
- Credit One Charleston Open (WTA 500)
- Copa Colsanitas by Zurich (WTA 250)
- Fayez Sarofim Clay Court Championship (ATP 250)
- Millennium Estoril Open (ATP 250)
- Grand Prix Hassan (ATP 250)
- Daegu Open (ITF Series 1)
Credit One Charleston Open
The Credit One Charleston Open will be kicking off proceedings on the WTA tour between 3–9 April. The WTA 500 event is set to welcome five of the world’s top 10 players, including reigning Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka, world No.3 Jessica Pegula, Ons Jabeur and Dara Kasatkina.
Daegu Open
The first week of April also marks the beginning of the Daegu Open on the ITF Wheelchair tour. The ITF Series 1 event will welcome men’s, women’s and quad players to Korea to contend for the title.
In 2012, British No.1 Lucy Shuker is a four-time winner at the Dageu Open, having won both the women’s singles and double’s titles in 2012, the doubles in 2015 alongside Marjolein Buis and more recently in 2019 when she partnered Jordanne Whiley.
10–16 April: Monte Carlo marks the first of two ATP 1000 events in April
Key events:
- Monte Carlo Masters (ATP 1000)
- Seoul Korea Open (ITF Series 1)
- Billie Jean King Cup Qualifiers
- Elizabeth Moore Sarasota Open (Challenger 125)
Billie Jean King Cup Qualifiers
The Billie Jean King Cup qualifiers will take place over two days between 14–15 April. The qualifiers will see 18 countries battle it out for a place in the 2023 Billie Jean King Cup Finals, starting in November this year.
Great Britain – who will be represented by Harriet Dart, Heather Watson, Katie Boulter, Alicia Barnett and Olivia Nicholls – have drawn France in the qualifying rounds, with the tie being held at the Coventry Building Society Arena in Coventry.
Buy your tickets to Great Britain vs France
Monte Carlo Masters
The first of three ATP Masters 1000 tournaments played on clay begins at the Monte Carlo Country Club on 9 April.
Britain’s Joe Salisbury and American doubles partner Rajeev Ram lifted the men’s doubles title last year after overcoming Colombian duo Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah in three sets – marking the first of two Masters 1000 titles they claimed in 2022.
Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas is the current men’s singles reigning champion, while Rafael Nadal has etched his name on the trophy an incredible 11 times in his career.
17–23 April: Wheelchair tennis heads to Japan while WTA stars take to the clay in Stuttgart
Key events:
- Japan Open (ITF Super Series)
- Porsche Tennis Grand Prix (WTA 500)
- Barcelona Open (ATP 500)
- BMW Open (ATP 250)
- Srpska Open (ATP 250)
- Oeiras Open 3 (Challenger 125)
Japan Open
Taking place between the 18–23 April is the Japan Open. Having been postponed for the last three years, the Super Series event will be making its return to the ITF Wheelchair tour this year.
In 2019, Alfie Hewett and Gordon Reid made it to the semi-final of the men’s doubles event. With momentum firmly on their side at the moment, the all-British duo would be tipped to go the full distance should they feature in the draw this year.
Porsche Tennis Grand Prix
The third week in April will also play host to the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix, taking place in Stuttgart between 17–23 April.
Last year’s event saw Emma Raducanu play her first professional tournament on clay, where she defeated Storm Hunter and Tamara Korpatsch before losing out to world No.1 Iga Swiatek in the quarter final. The British No.1 is also set to feature at this year’s event alongside the likes of Swiatek, Coco Gauff and 2023 Indian Wells Champion, Elena Rybakina.
24–30 April: ATP and WTA tours hit Madrid for combined 1000 event
Key events:
- Mutua Madrid Open (WTA 1000 & ATP 1000)
Madrid Open
April will conclude in Madrid with the combined ATP Masters and WTA 1000 event. For the first time in the event’s history the Madrid Open will be held over two weeks, becoming a 12-day event like those in Indian Wells and Miami. The tournament will begin on the 26 April through to the 7 May.
Last year saw current joint world No.1’s Neal Skupski and Wesley Koolhof lift the men’s doubles title – the first of three Master’s 1000 titles they picked up in 2022 – after defeating Colombian pairing Cabal and Farah in the final. The British, Dutch duo will be looking to retain the title this year, as they continue their search for a first Masters trophy of the year.
Former world No.1 Andy Murray has also experienced success in Madrid, having clinched the title on two occasions in 2008 and 2015.
In the women’s side, Jabeur will be heading to Madrid with ambitions of retaining the title that kick-started a strong period for her last year. The Tunisian overcame Pegula in a tough three set battle to lift her maiden 1000 trophy.
View the full season tennis schedules:
