Week in preview: Serena Williams returns to action in Eastbourne, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal headline star-studded exhibition event at Hurlingham Club, and more
It's shaping up to be an exciting week of tennis as Serena Williams, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and a host of other top names will be in action. With Wimbledon set to begin next week, this is the final opportunity for players to get some much-needed match practice on grass.
All eyes will be on Williams as she returns to the tour after a year's absence. The 23-time Grand Slam champion is competing in doubles at the Eastbourne International. The tournament also features plenty of top ATP and WTA players.
Meanwhile, Nadal and Djokovic are set to entertain fans at an exhibition event at the Hurlingham Club.
Elsewhere, World No. 1 Daniil Medvedev will lead the field at the Mallorca Open. Three-time Grand Slam champion Angelique Kerber, meanwhile, is the star of the Bad Homburg Open in her native Germany.
Here's a preview of all the action happening this week:
Eastbourne International - WTA 500 and ATP 250
Serena Williams made a tearful exit from Wimbledon last year after an injury during her first-round contest forced her to retire. She has been sidelined for almost a year since then, but is set to make her comeback at the Eastbourne International this week.
Williams has teamed up with Ons Jabeur and will compete in doubles. The duo will take on Sara Sorribes Tormo and Marie Bouzkova in the first round.
The tournament features a loaded draw, with five top 10 players in action. Paula Badosa, Maria Sakkari, Karolina Pliskova and Garbine Muguruza lead the singles field. Former Roland Garros champions Jelena Ostapenko and Barbora Krejcikova, along with two-time Wimbledon winner Petra Kvitova, are also in the fray.
The tournament also plays host to an ATP 250 event on the men's side. Home favorite Cameron Norrie is the top seed, with Jannik Sinner, Taylor Fritz and Diego Schwartzman rounding out the top four seeds. Defending champion Alex de Minaur and rising teen star Holger Rune are also in the mix.
Giorgio Armani Tennis Classic - Exhibition event
Two of the biggest names in tennis, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, are set to compete in this exhibition event.
Teen sensation Carlos Alcaraz, 2022 French Open runner-up Casper Ruud and World No. 9 Felix Auger-Aliassime will also be present. A host of former players such as Llyeton Hewitt, Tommy Haas and Radek Stepanek will also be competing.
All of this makes the Giorgio Armani Tennis Classic one of the biggest events taking place this week.
Delighted to welcome @rafaelnadal back to the Giorgio Armani Tennis Classic
.
.
@atptour @thehurlinghamclub instagram.com/p/Ce83z8ktrHl/ā¦
Neither Nadal nor Djokovic have been in action since the French Open. The Spaniard claimed his 22nd Grand Slam title in Paris and defeated the Serb in the quarterfinals as well.
After winning the year's first two Grand Slam titles, Nadal will be aiming to continue his winning ways at Wimbledon. Djokovic, on the other hand, is the three-time defending champion at the grasscourt Major.
Mallorca Open - ATP 250
World No. 1 Daniil Medvedev leads the pack at the Mallorca Open, where he's also the defending champion. He's made a solid start to the grass season with two runner-up finishes so far.
twitter.com/daniilmedwed/sā¦
See you soon, Daniil š twitter.com/daniilmedwed/sā¦
World No. 6 Stefanos Tsitsipas also took a wildcard to compete here and is seeded second. Nick Kyrgios, Denis Shapovalov and Pablo Carreno Busta are other players of note who will be competing in Spain.
Bad Homburg Open - WTA 250
World No. 13 Daria Kasatkina is the top seed in this tournament. Former World No. 1 Angelique Kerber is the defending champion at the Bad Homburg Open and is playing in her first grass tournament of the season.
Two-time Grand Slam champion Simona Halep will also be competing in this event. She made it to the semifinals in Birmingham last week and will aim to continue her good run of form here.
2019 US Open winner Bianca Andreescu will be present as well and will take on 2022 French Open semifinalist Martina Trevisan in the first round.
Amanda Anisimova, Sloane Stephens and Carolina Garcia are some of the other notable names competing at the Bad Homburg Open.
Also Check Out :-Wimbledon 2022 Results