Share

Djokovic accepts wildcard at Eastbourne

London - Three-time Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic is to play at the ATP tournament in Eastbourne, southern England, in preparation for the grasscourt Grand Slam, it was announced on Wednesday.

It will be the first time the struggling Djokovic has played a grass-court event between the French Open and Wimbledon since 2010.

The 30-year-old Serb saw his French Open title defence come to a surprise halt with a straight sets quarter-final loss to the up-and-coming Dominic Thiem on the clay courts of Roland Garros in Paris earlier this month.

Now, following what was his quickest exit from the French Open in seven years, 12-time Grand Slam champion is to play Eastbourne, which runs from June 23-July 1 after accepting a main draw wildcard. 

"This will be my first trip to Eastbourne, I have heard great things about the tournament,” said 12-time Grand Slam champion Djokovic in a statement. "I am looking forward to fine tuning my grass court game there ahead of Wimbledon.”

World number four Djokovic comes into the event will be the tournament’s top seed ahead of number two Gael Monfils and number three John Isner.

Originally a women's only event, Eastbourne has been expanded to include men's tennis as well and tournament director Gavin Fletcher said: "The quality of the men’s and women’s entries is already incredibly high, and the addition of Novak will take the event to an even higher level." 

The WTA side of the tournament features seven of the world’s top 10 female players including world number one Angelique Kerber, Karolina Pliskova (number three), 2016 champion Dominika Cibulkova (number six), 2009 champion Caroline Wozniacki (number eight), and Britain's world number seven Johanna Konta.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should Siya Kolisi keep the captaincy as the Springboks build towards their World Cup title defence in 2027?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Siya will only be 36 at the next World Cup. He can make it!
26% - 1273 votes
No! I think the smart thing to do is start again with a younger skipper ...
29% - 1470 votes
I'd keep Siya captain for now, but look to have someone else for 2027.
45% - 2249 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE