Wrexham to host prestigious ITF World Tennis Tour event for the first time in October
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The biggest women’s tennis tournament to be played in the UK this year, outside of the grass court season, is heading to Wrexham for the first time.
The Lexus Wrexham Open will be played on the indoor courts at Wrexham Tennis & Padel Centre between October 19-26, with leading British and international tennis stars visiting North Wales to compete in the prestigious ITF World Tennis Tour event.
The Plas Coch Road venue recently benefitted from a £2.5 million refurbishment, primarily funded by the UK Government’s Shared Prosperity Fund, with additional support from Sport Wales and Wrexham Council followed by a further grant from the Welsh government to bring the lighting up to ITF international tennis standards.
The centre will be transformed during the tournament, with a 600-seat capacity arena constructed around the main show court to allow spectators to watch world-class tennis. The festival of tennis will feature a host of activities for the local community, including a range of hospitality events throughout an exciting week.
Dave Courteen, the event promoter, has worked closely with the Lawn Tennis Association to ensure the tournament, which has previously been held in Shrewsbury, will now take place in Wrexham.
He said: “We are really excited to bring this event to Wrexham after it has grown so impressively over a number of years.
"The Lexus Wrexham Open will be the biggest tennis tournament ever held in North Wales, as well as the largest women's tennis event in Wales since the Rover Championships in Cardiff in 1996.
“Marketa Vondrousova was crowned Wimbledon champion in 2023 just eight months after winning the W100 title at Shrewsbury, so this gives a perfect indication of the profile of this tournament and the quality of players it attracts.
“Many other international stars ranked in the top 100 in the world, along with lots of the leading British players, including Katie Boulter, Harriet Dart, Heather Watson, Jodie Burrage and last year’s winner Sonay Kartal, have also played in this tournament.”
Dave added: “We know Wrexham is famous for its football club so we want this event to be another way of celebrating what a great city Wrexham is.
"We are working closely with Tennis Wales, trustees of the tennis centre, Wrexham Council and the Welsh Government to ensure the tournament will really showcase all that’s wonderful about the city. We are really looking forward to building relationships with the Wrexham business community.
"We have already had interest from local sponsors, with Total Fitness Wrexham and Net World Sports already signing up to take sponsorship packages.
“There will be many different ways for the local community, including local schools, to get involved with the tournament and there’s lots of exciting planning ahead between now and October.”
Caroline Lacy, Head of Tennis Relations and Event Development at the LTA, said: “We are thrilled to bring women’s professional tennis back to Wales for the first time in nearly three decades.
"The LTA is very proud to be working together with all partners involved to stage this event at Wrexham Tennis & Padel Centre, increasing the visibility of our sport outside the summer months and opening tennis up to even more people right across Britain.
"Under Dave Courteen’s stewardship, with support from Welsh Government, Wrexham Borough Council and Tennis Wales, this event promises to be a high point in the national tennis calendar later in the year.”
Jack Sargeant, Minister for Culture, Skills and Social Partnership for the Welsh Government, added: "Having visited the newly refurbished Wrexham Tennis & Padel Centre just a few weeks ago, I was thoroughly impressed by the excellent facilities on offer.
"These world-class amenities are an important addition to the sporting landscape in North Wales, providing a platform where both elite athletes and grassroots enthusiasts from the local community can train and enjoy their sport.
“Bringing an elite women's tennis tournament to Wrexham for the first time is also an investment in our tourism industry as it will attract visitors to Wrexham outside the regular season.
"This year is promising to be an exciting one for women's sport in Wales with the AIG women’s golf open coming to Porthcawl in the Summer and team Cymru competing for the first time ever in the UEFA Women’s EURO 2025.”
Simon Johnson, chief executive of Tennis Wales, is delighted that such a high-profile event is coming to Wrexham.
He said: “This is a real coup for tennis in Wales and we are really proud that such a prestigious event is going to be held in North Wales.
“The Wrexham Tennis & Padel Centre has recently been enhanced by an impressive refurbishment, so to land an event of this magnitude so soon after work was completed is fantastic.
“This tournament will help to further raise the profile of tennis in Wales and it’s an event to really look forward to.”
