Following a month of exhilarating tennis action on grass, the WTA tour takes a short detour to the claycourts at Budapest Grand Prix — before moving to the hardcourt swing. Top names have arrived in the Hungarian capital for the 21st edition of the WTA 250 event, which commenced with main draw action on Monday.
Defending champion Bernanda Pera will lead the field as the top seed. She will be expecting a tough fight from a competitive field comprising the likes of Camila Giorgi and Zhang Shuai. Anna Bondar and Timea Babos, meanwhile, will lead a host of home hopes.
On that note, let's take a look at all the information regarding the 2023 Budapest Grand Prix.
What is the Budapest Grand Prix?
A regular feature on the WTA Tour, the Budapest Grand Prix was first played in 1996. The tournament has been held under various names over the years and was discontinued in 2014, only to return to the calendar in 2021.
Romania's Ruxandra Dragomir was the first player to take home the trophy at the tournament's inaugural edition. The other winners include Simona Halep, Magdalena Maleeva, Alize Cornet, and Sara Errani, to name a few.
Players
Bernanda Pera, who took home the title 12 months ago after beating Aleksandra Krunic in the summit clash, returns to the tournament as the top seed. Her half of the draw is crowded by the likes of Kamila Rakhimova, Elina Avanesyan, and Daria Saville.
The biggest challenge for Pera, however, may come in the form of the big-hitting Italian Camila Giorgi. The third seed Italian has also landed in the top half of the draw.
Second seed Zhang Shuai anchors the bottom half, along with the likes of season campaigners Yulia Putinseva, Anna Karolína Schmiedlova, and Tatjana Maria.
Schedule
The qualifiers for the tournament began on Saturday, July 15. The main draw is scheduled to commence play on Monday, July 17, and the final will take place on Sunday, July 23.
Prize Money
The winner of the Budapest Grand Prix will pocket $34,228 along with 250 ranking points. Here's a detailed breakdown of the prize money and ranking points:
Where to watch
Viewers in the US, UK, Canada, and Australia can watch the Budapest Grand Prix live on the following channels and sites:
USA: All matches will be broadcast on Tennis Channel.
UK: UK viewers can catch all the action live on WTA Channel and Prime Video.
Australia: All matches will be telecast on 9Now.
Canada: Viewers in Canada can watch all the matches on TSN
