2025 Grass calendar

Madadman · Masters Series Champion

2025 Grass calendar

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Madadman wrote:
https://www.lta.org.uk/news/a-new-grass-court-calendar-for-2025/?utm_campaign=reputation&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter&utm_content=new_calendar&utm_term=

LTA have announced a new calendar for the grass season. Main highlights are that Queens has a WTA 500 the week before the ATP event and Surbiton is no more. Regarding Surbiton personally I find a shame as it is local to me however do understand we have Wimbledon and Queens not far away.

No Surbiton?????

What are they trying to do, ruin my summers????

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

thanks Madadman that is interesting.

So summary is

week 1 of grass ie 2nd week of RG - moves from Surbiton Challengers to Birmingham challengers

week 2 - moves from Nottingham 250 and Nottingham ATP Challenger to Queens WTA 500 and Ilkley ATP and WTA Challenger

week 3 - moves from Queens ATP 500, Birmingham WTA 250 and Ilkley Challengers to Queens ATP 500 (remains), Nottingham WTA 250 and Nottingham ATP Challenger

week 4 - remains as Eastbourne WTA and ATP 250

So in essence it is largely a bit of a move around with Surbiton falling to one side.

As an Ilkley attendee and supporter, this could be a big boost for the Ilkley draw quality, IMO. It has always suffered a little by being later in the grass season against Queens and British players largely trying to qualify for Queens and not being able to enter Ilkley or take wild cards there. Going the week before means less competition, I think, and that week generally has had a higher quality field than the week 3 field for the Challenger events. So on that front I am happy with it. For the women below 500 level, they would also gravitate towards Ilkley, so that works fine as well for me!

Sad to see Surbiton go however, although if one had to go I think it being a Southern event is better for tennis in the country generally.

Var · Pro player

JonH comes home wrote:
thanks Madadman that is interesting.

So summary is

week 1 of grass ie 2nd week of RG - moves from Surbiton Challengers to Birmingham challengers

week 2 - moves from Nottingham 250 and Nottingham ATP Challenger to Queens WTA 500 and Ilkley ATP and WTA Challenger

week 3 - moves from Queens ATP 500, Birmingham WTA 250 and Ilkley Challengers to Queens ATP 500 (remains), Nottingham WTA 250 and Nottingham ATP Challenger

week 4 - remains as Eastbourne WTA and ATP 250

So in essence it is largely a bit of a move around with Surbiton falling to one side.

As an Ilkley attendee and supporter, this could be a big boost for the Ilkley draw quality, IMO. It has always suffered a little by being later in the grass season against Queens and British players largely trying to qualify for Queens and not being able to enter Ilkley or take wild cards there. Going the week before means less competition, I think, and that week generally has had a higher quality field than the week 3 field for the Challenger events. So on that front I am happy with it. For the women below 500 level, they would also gravitate towards Ilkley, so that works fine as well for me!

Sad to see Surbiton go however, although if one had to go I think it being a Southern event is better for tennis in the country generally.

Shame they cant keep the WTA Eastbourne a 500 event. Feel sad for Surbiton as they have really suffered in this change around. I suppose a lot will depend on which other tournaments are around at the same time in Europe , which will impact quality of fields.WTA 500 in Germany the same week as Eastbourne will surely take the cream from the womens game. Although it may attract some high profile players who get knocked out early?

-- Edited by Var on Thursday 16th of May 2024 01:34:40 PM

Lambda · Challenger qualifying

Good luck getting a high quality field for Queens the week after Roland Garros.

Couldn't they have moved Surbiton a week earlier and made it a 40/50k? It would be good if there could be a grass event for those lower down the rankings. Instead it'll probably have a British Tour or Progress Tour event.

Jan · Hall of fame

Just as I've decided to go to Surbiton for the first time. Looks as though it will be the last too.

Madadman · Masters Series Champion

Lambda wrote:
Good luck getting a high quality field for Queens the week after Roland Garros.

Couldn't they have moved Surbiton a week earlier and made it a 40/50k? It would be good if there could be a grass event for those lower down the rankings. Instead it'll probably have a British Tour or Progress Tour event.

Re Surbiton I did have a similar thought re a lower level comp during RG week 1. we dont appear to be catering at all to lower level players for Grass tournaments as unlike last year there are no m25/w35s on the grass post Wimbledon either. Think the only lower level tournaments on grass are in Australia.

Var · Pro player

Madadman wrote:
Lambda wrote:
Good luck getting a high quality field for Queens the week after Roland Garros.

Couldn't they have moved Surbiton a week earlier and made it a 40/50k? It would be good if there could be a grass event for those lower down the rankings. Instead it'll probably have a British Tour or Progress Tour event.
Re Surbiton I did have a similar thought re a lower level comp during RG week 1. we dont appear to be catering at all to lower level players for Grass tournaments as unlike last year there are no m25/w35s on the grass post Wimbledon either. Think the only lower level tournaments on grass are in Australia.

A lot of negative comments springing up on social media, especially LTA Instagram. Negative against Queens comments as well on hosting womens tournament. Main gripe is cost and loss of more affordable grass court options.

Madadman · Masters Series Champion

Yeah re cost, that is why I liked Surbiton it was a much better price point than Queens or Wimbledon. Although Wimbledon Qualifying does also have a decent price point for the level of tennis.

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Lambda wrote:
Good luck getting a high quality field for Queens the week after Roland Garros.

Couldn't they have moved Surbiton a week earlier and made it a 40/50k? It would be good if there could be a grass event for those lower down the rankings. Instead it'll probably have a British Tour or Progress Tour event.

It used to be a lower tier event (can't remember the exact band) and it, honestly, was far better

I even had a good chat with the President, giving him the benefit of my pearls of wisdom (), along the lines of 'don't change it!'.

But he said he had no choice, he had to do what the LTA said - which is perfectly reasonable - BUT it means that, yes, as others have said, we have barely any events catering for the mid- and lower- tier of players

wimbledont · Lower Club Player

Another issue is that the grass tournaments all seem to be played after the cut-off for Wimbledon entries - so players are being judged only on their grass form from 13 months previous, not on any of their results from this calendar year.

I appreciate that it doesnt do the grass or the groundstaff many favours to play too early in the year, but OTOH, the general public peak demand for grass courts is surely the week or three after Wimbledon - so if courts have been heavily used in a pro tourney 6-8 weeks before then, in school term time, that gives a longer recovery time.

Shhh · Challenger level

Lambda wrote:
Couldn't they have moved Surbiton a week earlier and made it a 40/50k? It would be good if there could be a grass event for those lower down the rankings. Instead it'll probably have a British Tour or Progress Tour event.

I think that is spot on Lambda. Surbiton didnt used to have such high prize money, could it not have revertted to a lower amount, played the week before? They could even have returned to the twin courts for the main stand. It is such a lovely tournament, well run, helpful volunteers...I agree the grass season should be spread around the country but I do wish Surbiton could have remained even in a rescheduled and lesser format, to lose it altogether seems such a shame cry

PaulM · Tennis legend

Totally agree Lambda. There's a general lack of ITFs still, a few years ago we had Manchester and a small-field event in Southsea as well.

WTA seem to be trying to boost the non-UK grass events, having a 500 the week after a Slam is not going to attract the best field.

HarryGem · Club Coach

Birmingham great well attended tournament now downgraded, meaning only top level tennis outside of London and South East is Nottingham.

A very very poor development. I agree with downgrading Eastbourne as there have been so many withdrawals that it no longer justifies this level, but a 500 should have been either Birmingham or Nottingham with the other being a 250, not yet another expensive overpriced venue in London. Add to that expensive travel to get there and possible overnight accommodation to book. Just disgraceful.

This is a two fingers to UK tennis fans outside of London and the South East and shows just how committed the LTA is to spreading the game.

Tennis remains as seen by many people as a game for the wealthy only and this type of decision only adds fuel to that fire.

wimbledont · Lower Club Player

I appreciate this discussion is about 2025, but this year there are also some other European grass tournaments - notably 2 WTA500s in Germany...

www.wtatennis.com/tournaments