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The 41st edition of the Rothesay Classic will start in Birmingham on June 19. Beatriz Haddad Maia won last year's event by beating Zhang Shuai in the final after the latter was forced to retire due to a neck injury.
The Brazilian will be heavily favored to defend her title but the likes of Barbora Krejcikova, Jelena Ostapenko, Madison Keys and Anhelina Kalinina are all capable of challenging for the title.
On that note, let's take a look at everything we need to know about the WTA 250 tournament.
What is the Rothesay Classic?
The Rothesay Classic is a grass-court tournament that takes place during the month of June. It is a part of the WTA 250 series. The inaugural edition of the tournament took place in 1982, with Billie Jean King winning it by defeating Rosalyn Fairbank in the final.
Pam Shriver holds the record for the most number of singles titles won in Birmingham with four to her name. Other past champions include Martina Navratilova, Maria Sharapova, Petra Kvitova and Ashleigh Barty.
Venue
The Edgbaston Priory Club in Birmingham is the venue for the Rothesay Classic. It has a seating capacity of 2500 people.
Players
Defending champion Beatriz Haddad Maia is the top seed at the Rothesay Classic 2023 and will be a heavy favorite to win after her spectacular semifinal run at the French Open. Barbora Krejcikova is seeded second and is capable of winning the WTA 250 event if she is at her best.
Third seed Jelena Ostapenko has had a few good moments so far in 2023 and will be eager to do well in Birmingham following a disappointing second-round exit at Roland Garros. Fourth seed Magda Linette hasn't had much to show following her semifinal run at the Australian Open. However, the Pole should not be written off as she can have a good run in Birmingham once she gets going.
Anastasia Potapova, Madison Keys, Anhelina Kalinina and Bernarda Pera complete the list of seeded players and are all capable of doing well at the Rothesay Classic.
The likes of Venus Williams and Elina Svitolina are wildcard entries in the main draw and we could see some good tennis from them, especially the latter, who made it to the quarterfinals of the French Open.
Schedule
The main draw of the Rothesay Classic will commence on June 19 with the opening round. The quarterfinals are set for June 23 while the semifinals will take place on June 24. The men's singles final is scheduled to take place on June 25.
Prize Money
The total prize pool for the Rothesay Classic is $259,303, with the winner earning $34,228 and 280 ranking points. Here is the prize money breakdown for the WTA 250 tournament:
Where to Watch Rothesay Classic
Viewers in the US, UK, Australia, and Canada can watch the WTA 250 tournament live on the following channels and sites:
USA: All matches will be broadcast on Tennis Channel.
UK: Fans in the UK can watch the proceedings live on Amazon Prime Video and BBC Digital.
Australia: All matches will be telecast on beIN Sports.
Canada: Viewers in Canada can watch all the matches on TSN.
