British Tennis Forum - Celebrating 20 Years!

Lambda · Grand Slam Champion

Week 24 - WTA250 - Nottingham, Great Britain - Grass

the addict · Tennis legend

Yes, just 8 of our highest ranked players in action this week, with 12 others playing outside GB (highest ranked is Summer Yardley at WR1104). And if it wasn't for Birmingham, Ilkley and Queens it wasn't much better the previous weeks. A great gap in opportunities for those ranked 500 to 1000, many of whom are probably hoping to get in the wild card playoffs (pick ten from possibly 15 or so)

indiana · Tennis legend

Have there been any public comments from women players on this ludicrous situation? Including possibly from these higher ranked players that do have the opportunity to play ( or even some men ) on behalf of others?

Blue_Belle · Pro player

Lambda wrote:
Theres 2 issues here. The lack of opportunities for mid to lower ranked GB women to compete on grass at a level suitable for them and the lack of opportunities for women of all nationalities in Wimby qualifying to compete on grass this week. As I said on the entries thread the latter was obvious the moment they announced the revamped grass court calendar a couple of years ago. I remember saying so at the time. So it must be acceptable to the AELTC. The former, as Blue_Belle says has been happening for years, so theres zero hope of that changing. There LTA have been putting on low level grass ITF or Challengers for the men at Nottingham in the 2nd week of Wimby in recent years. Theres no reason they can't do the same for the women. If not at Nottingham, then Manchester or somewhere else.

(BB, It's the AELTC that have a stake in most of the continental Europe grass court events rather than the LTA)

-- Edited by Lambda on Monday 15th of June 2026 09:02:30 AM

Thank you for the correction!

JonH · Tennis legend

indiana wrote:
Have there been any public comments from women players on this ludicrous situation? Including possibly from these higher ranked players that do have the opportunity to play ( or even some men ) on behalf of others?

I suspect that would be a "no"!

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Emma has withdrawn

Which was anticipated, although a shame for Notts

Bejlek has taken her spot, as 11th seed

https://wtafiles.wtatennis.com/pdf/draws/2026/1080/MDS.pdf

-- Edited by Coup Droit on Monday 15th of June 2026 10:01:58 AM

Lambda · Grand Slam Champion

It's not even injury related. Just a change of schedule. So why did she ask for a WC then? Presumably it was an ask last week since she was meant to be in Berlin.

JonH · Tennis legend

Lambda wrote:
It's not even injury related. Just a change of schedule. So why did she ask for a WC then? Presumably it was an ask last week since she was meant to be in Berlin.

Yeah, that was why I assumed she would definitely be playing, why ask for the wildcard. Disappointing for the Notts fans.

Will she play Eastbourne or Bad Homborg now instead? Going in to Wimbledon with one event, when in her interview yesterday she talked about it all about getting matches under your belt, would seem contradictory

the addict · Tennis legend

Bondar gets the LL spot that results from Emma's withdrawal. That just leaves Hannah and Alicia who have missed out on a LL spot.

indiana · Tennis legend

JonH wrote:
Lambda wrote:
It's not even injury related. Just a change of schedule. So why did she ask for a WC then? Presumably it was an ask last week since she was meant to be in Berlin.
Yeah, that was why I assumed she would definitely be playing, why ask for the wildcard. Disappointing for the Notts fans.
Will she play Eastbourne or Bad Homborg now instead? Going in to Wimbledon with one event, when in her interview yesterday she talked about it all about getting matches under your belt, would seem contradictory

She did end up going all the way to the Sunday final after also playing twice on Saturday. Seems to me reasonable, indeed maybe sensible, for her to then decide to take the week off and potentially play next week.

JonH · Tennis legend

indiana wrote:
JonH wrote:
Lambda wrote:
It's not even injury related. Just a change of schedule. So why did she ask for a WC then? Presumably it was an ask last week since she was meant to be in Berlin.
Yeah, that was why I assumed she would definitely be playing, why ask for the wildcard. Disappointing for the Notts fans.
Will she play Eastbourne or Bad Homborg now instead? Going in to Wimbledon with one event, when in her interview yesterday she talked about it all about getting matches under your belt, would seem contradictory
She did end up going all the way to the Sunday final after also playing twice on Saturday. Seems to me reasonable, indeed maybe sensible, for her to then decide to take the week off and potentially play next week.

Anyway, no issue and hope she plays again next week to maintain the momentum. If she has any choice, I would maybe go with Bad Homborg as I think the Eastbourne wind doesnt help build consistency, but Bad Homborg is probably a more stacked draw, so maybe Eastbourne will provide more opportunities to get matches?

-- Edited by JonH on Monday 15th of June 2026 10:46:40 AM

the addict · Tennis legend

Bad Homburg is stacked with top players - I doubt if Emma would consider it. Rybakina, Swiatek, Svitolina and others.

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

the addict wrote:
Bondar gets the LL spot that results from Emma's withdrawal. That just leaves Hannah and Alicia who have missed out on a LL spot.

cry cry cry

Lambda · Grand Slam Champion

indiana wrote:
JonH wrote:
Lambda wrote:
It's not even injury related. Just a change of schedule. So why did she ask for a WC then? Presumably it was an ask last week since she was meant to be in Berlin.
Yeah, that was why I assumed she would definitely be playing, why ask for the wildcard. Disappointing for the Notts fans.
Will she play Eastbourne or Bad Homborg now instead? Going in to Wimbledon with one event, when in her interview yesterday she talked about it all about getting matches under your belt, would seem contradictory
She did end up going all the way to the Sunday final after also playing twice on Saturday. Seems to me reasonable, indeed maybe sensible, for her to then decide to take the week off and potentially play next week.

Which was entirely foreseeable on Friday when she presumably asked for it. And she knew she had played twice on Saturday and was in the final on Sunday morning before the draw was done. She could have withdrawn then and the WC go to someone else (most likely Jodie or Heather). She has no excuse for denying someone else an opportunity with the scarce opportunities that already exist.

JonH · Tennis legend

Lambda wrote:
indiana wrote:

JonH wrote:
Lambda wrote:
It's not even injury related. Just a change of schedule. So why did she ask for a WC then? Presumably it was an ask last week since she was meant to be in Berlin.
Yeah, that was why I assumed she would definitely be playing, why ask for the wildcard. Disappointing for the Notts fans.
Will she play Eastbourne or Bad Homborg now instead? Going in to Wimbledon with one event, when in her interview yesterday she talked about it all about getting matches under your belt, would seem contradictory
She did end up going all the way to the Sunday final after also playing twice on Saturday. Seems to me reasonable, indeed maybe sensible, for her to then decide to take the week off and potentially play next week.
Which was entirely foreseeable on Friday when she presumably asked for it. And she knew she had played twice on Saturday and was in the final on Sunday morning before the draw was done. She could have withdrawn then and the WC go to someone else (most likely Jodie or Heather). She has no excuse for denying someone else an opportunity with the scarce opportunities that already exist.

I was going to make this point, agreed. Just seems a little self centred and maybe that is fine, it is an individual sport. But nonetheless