All you need to know about the Birmingham Classicpublished at 16:43 British Summer Time 13 June 2021
The 39th edition of the Birmingham Classic will take place at Edgbaston Priory Club from 14 to 20 June.
It is a women’s-only tournament, played on grass outdoor courts, and acts as a build-up event for Wimbledon, which starts on Monday, 28 June.
The tournament starts with 32 competitors, three of whom are British.
Heather Watson, Harriet Dart and Fran Jones – who has received a wildcard entry after Katie Boulter withdrew with an elbow injury – are competing alongside some of the world’s best players.
Belgium’s world number 15 Elise Mertens is the highest-ranked player in the draw, with Ons Jabeur, Donna Vekic and 2017 French Open winner Jelena Ostapenko also part of the field.
The British trio have been handed tough first-round draws, with Dart drawn to play former top-10 player Caroline Garcia. Watson comes up against experienced Swiss Viktorija Golubic and Jones takes on former Birmingham Classic runner-up Vekic.