Eastbourne Tennis: The Lexus Eastbourne Open at Devonshire Park

Good to know: the tournament’s name changes with its sponsor — it’s currently the Lexus Eastbourne Open, and was the Rothesay International before that — and the exact dates and player line-up vary each year. Always check the LTA website for the current year’s details and tickets.

What is the Eastbourne tennis tournament?

The Eastbourne tennis is a combined men’s and women’s grass-court tournament played at the Devonshire Park Lawn Tennis Club. Run by the LTA (the Lawn Tennis Association), it’s currently classified as an ATP 250 and WTA 250 event, bringing together professional singles and doubles players — along with world-class wheelchair tennis — on Eastbourne’s famous lawns. It goes by different names over the years depending on its sponsor: it’s the Lexus Eastbourne Open at the moment, and has previously been known as the Rothesay International, the Nature Valley International and the Aegon International, among others. To most locals, though, it’s simply “the Eastbourne tennis”.

A tournament with real heritage

Tennis has been part of Eastbourne’s summer since 1974, making this one of the longest-running events on the grass-court calendar. Over the decades it has welcomed many of the greatest names in the sport — none more so than Martina Navratilova, who won the Eastbourne women’s title a record-setting eleven times. Its intimate, seaside setting has long made it a favourite with players and fans alike: the main show court seats around 8,000 spectators, close enough to feel every serve, yet a world away from the scale and crowds of Wimbledon.

Did you know? Martina Navratilova won the Eastbourne women’s singles title eleven times — a record that speaks to the tournament’s long and distinguished history.

When it takes place

The Eastbourne tennis is played in late June, in the week or so leading up to Wimbledon — in 2026 it ran from 20–29 June, though the precise dates shift a little each year. That timing is the whole point: with the grass season so short, players use Eastbourne as vital match practice on the surface before heading to SW19 the following week. It’s the perfect chance to see big names sharpening their game, often in tight, unpredictable matches as they find their footing on grass.

Where — Devonshire Park

The tournament is held at Devonshire Park, in Eastbourne’s elegant Devonshire Quarter at the edge of Lower Meads. The International Lawn Tennis Centre here sits within a beautifully restored cultural complex that also includes the Congress Theatre, the Devonshire Park Theatre and, next door, the Towner art gallery — all just a short stroll from the seafront and town centre. The park and quarter take their name from the Dukes of Devonshire, the Cavendish family who shaped so much of Victorian Eastbourne, and the setting remains one of the most graceful on the tennis tour.

Tickets and planning your visit

Tickets are sold through the LTA’s official ticketing website, with options ranging from grounds passes — giving access to the outside courts, where you can watch matches up close — to reserved seats on Centre Court. Demand is highest for the later rounds and finals, so it’s worth booking ahead if you have your heart set on a particular day. And because Devonshire Park is so central, it’s easy to make a full day of it: pair the tennis with a walk along the seafront, a spot of afternoon tea or a visit to the Towner gallery next door.

Eastbourne tennis: FAQs