Matteo Berrettini, Eugenie Bouchard, Denis Shapovalov, and more express excitement as start of grass court season beckons

As the claycourt season draws to a close with the final few matches left at the French Open, a number of players, such as Matteo Berrettini, Eugenie Bouchard and Denis Shapovalov, have been gearing up for the upcoming grass season.

Their focus will now be on upcoming tournaments like the Boss Open, Libema Open, Queens Club Championships, and the Eastbourne International. These events serve as crucial stepping stones, allowing players to fine-tune their skills ahead of the all-important grasscourt Major at Wimbledon.

Berrettini, the World No. 20, recently took to his Instagram account and updated fans about his next destination. The Italian seemed quite eager to begin his grasscourt campaign.

"It's @bossopen time, On the way to Stuttgart," Matteo Berrettini wrote.

Matteo Berrettini en route to the Boss Open in Stuttgart

The 27-year-old had a sensational grasscourt swing in 2022. He managed to capture titles at the Stuttgart Open and the ATP 500 Queens Club Championships. Given his run of form leading upto Wimbledon, Matteo Berrettini was one of the favorites to go the distance at the All England Club. However, he was forced to withdraw from the event due to COVID-19 regulations.

Apart from Berrettini, World No. 32 Denis Shapovalov has also given an update about joining the Stuttgart Open on June 12. The Canadian shared a picture on his Instagram account.

Denis Shapovalov announces his participation in Stuttgart

Brit No. 1 Cameron Norrie and World No. 81 Thanasi Kokkinakis have also been training together on grass. Norrie took to his social media account to signal the beginning of his grasscourt preparations alongside the Australian and his long-time coach James Trotman.

Cameron Norrie and Thanasi Kokkinakis train on the grass courts

On the women's side, 2020 Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin posted an update while training at the the Nottingham Tennis Centre. The American will be eager to find some form and revive her career in the upcoming grasscourt season.

Sofia Kenin at the Nottingham tennis center

Elise Mertens and Alycia Parks have also shown their excitement for upcoming tournaments. Parks, the 2023 Lyon Open winner, posted a picture while training on the grasscourts expressing her admiration for the faster surface.

Alycia Parks eager to begin her grasscourt campaign

"Absolutely love," she wrote on her Instagram stories.

On the other hand, former World No. 12 Elise Mertens looked forward to participating at the Libema Open, also known as the Rosmalen Grasscourt Championships.

Elise Mertens is at the Libema Open

Former World No. 5 Eugenie Bouchard also looked forward to the begining of the grasscourt season. She posted an update on her Instagram stories with the quote "my happy place."

Eugenie Bouchard rejoicing her time on the grass courts

The 2014 Wimbledon finalist is currently ranked outside the top 100 of the WTA rankings, but has been putting in the hard yards in the last few months. She'll be looking forward to preparing well ahead of the grasscourt Major.

With tournaments such as the Libema Open, Queens Club Championship, Rothesay Classic, and Berlin Open on the cards, fans can expect some exciting matches in the coming weeks.

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Stefanos Tsitsipas, Taylor Fritz and Tommy Paul included in the entry list of the Stuttgart Open alongside Matteo Berrettini

Matteo Berrettini and Stefanos Tsitsipas in 2021

World No. 5 Stefanos Tsitsipas and the American duo of Taylor Fritz and Tommy Paul have been included in the entry list of the 2023 Stuttgart Open alongside Matteo Berrettini.

Tstsipas will be entering the event on the back of a dissapointing quarter-final exit at the 2023 French Open. The Greek failed fend off top seed Carlos Alcaraz in the last eight, falling to the talented youngster in straight sets. Tsitsipas is expected to be the top seed in Stuttgart.

Fritz, on the other hand, will begin his grasscourt season in Stuttgart after a controversial campaign in Paris. The American was subject to a lot of booing from the crowd during his second-round clash against local favourite Arthur Rinderknech.

He managed to win against the Frenchman but couldn't outfox Francisco Cerundolo in the third round. The World No. 8 is expected to be seeded second in Stuttgart.

Tommy Paul, Frances Tiafoe, Lorenzo Musetti, Denis Shapovalov and Hubert Hurkacz are also expected to be a part of the event. Matteo Berrettini will be the defending champion and the action to set to begin on June 12.