AEGON International welcomes tennis legends

Former champions Martina Hingis and Jana Novotna will grace the courts of Devonshire Park to open the AEGON International with a special exhibition event.

They’ll be joined by a host of other stars to give fans a rare opportunity to see some of the sport’s best-known names compete in singles and mixed doubles matches on the opening Sunday (12 June) and Monday (13 June) of the joint ATP and WTA tournament.

Former AEGON International champion Novotna won the singles tournament in 1998 and the doubles in 1992, 1995, 1996 and 1998. She commented: 'I’m really excited about playing on the wonderful grass courts of Devonshire Park again.

'The crowd was always fantastic towards me and I’m looking forward to getting the same reception again. It should be a lot of fun and I can’t wait to meet up with the other Legends and play them in this event and put on a good spectacle for the crowds.'

Five-time Grand Slam winner Hingis, who retired in 1997, will also be one of the star attractions, and she says: 'It’s such a delight to be invited back to Eastbourne. I have fond memories of the event as I won in the doubles event with Anna Kournikova when I played in 1999. I know it’s going to be a lot of fun and can only hope that the sun will shine once again!'

Check out the latest news from the AEGON International on the LTA website

The AEGON International

Played in the idyllic setting of Devonshire Park in Eastbourne from 11 to 18 June, the AEGON International offers many of the world’s top singles and doubles players a final chance to prepare for Wimbledon.

This year welcomes another strong field which includes five-time Wimbledon women's singles champion, Venus Williams. She'll be joined by 13 of the world's top 20 women, including French Open champions Francesca Schiavone and Ana Ivanovic, and Australian Open finalist and AEGON Classic champion, Na Li. The men's draw will be announced shortly.

The AEGON International has an impressive history: as a premier women’s event, its past winners include Kim Clijsters, Justine Henin, Lindsay Davenport and Caroline Wozniacki. In 2009 Dmitry Tursunov of Russia became the first ever men’s champion, marking a new era for this popular tournament.

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