The Aegon Open Nottingham is serving up a day of summer fashion, fun and fitness as part of the inaugural Ladies Day, presented by House of Fraser Nottingham.
A carnival atmosphere is expected at the Nottingham Tennis Centre on Thursday 9 June on a day when fascinators and frills off the court will mix with forehands and thrills delivered by world-class players on court.
British No.1 and Grand Slam semi-finalist Johanna Konta headlines the star-studded line-up, which includes two former World No. 1 players in Victoria Azarenka and Caroline Wozniacki.
And while they battle it out for pre-Wimbledon honours on the Nottingham grass courts, there will be plenty for spectators to win, with fantastic prizes from Phase 8, Pandora and East Midlands Trains on offer for the Best Dressed and Best Hat, as well as a charity raffle in support of Rainbows Hospice for Children and Young People.
Festivities will also include ‘Fashion on the Court’ featuring House of Fraser favourites such as Linea, Biba and Therapy. There will also be retail ‘pop-ups’ where spectators can go for their one-stop summer shop, including all the essentials from clothing to swimwear and luggage as well as have the chance to visit beauty experts.
Along with the chance to be pampered during a day at the tennis, Ladies Day is also about promoting an active lifestyle and inspiring the next generation, with Judy Murray hosting a Miss-Hits Festival for girls, while there will also be a Les Mills fitness demonstration showcasing Bodyattack and Bodybalance.
Rebecca James, Tournament Director of the Aegon Open Nottingham said “I am thrilled that we are hosting the first ‘Ladies Day’ at the WTA event and am delighted that House of Fraser Nottingham are supporting this exciting day. Hosting such a quality field of women’s tennis stars gives us a really unique opportunity to talk about female sport and to champion the inspirational figures involved in the game today. On the day we will be showcasing girls starting out in the sport, alongside the best up and coming juniors in the Midlands, all pitted next to the current leaders of the world game. It’s really is going to be a fantastic day out.”
Debbie Towle, Ladies-wear Sales Manager from House of Fraser Nottingham said “The opportunity to support the Aegon Open Nottingham Ladies Day was a fantastic one for us. We are really excited about offering ladies in Nottingham a new date on the social calendar to come and enjoy fashion alongside a great day out at the tennis. We will be showing off the latest summer fashions from our in-house brands and sharing advice from our beauty experts. Most importantly we’ll be crowning the best dressed and the best hat winners on Centre Court around midday – so don’t miss out!”
Anne Davies, BBC East Midlands presenter and patron for Rainbows Hospice Charity for Children and Young People, is joining the fun and helping judge the best dressed competition on the day. “The partnership between the Aegon Open Nottingham and Rainbows is shaping up to be a fantastic collaborative effort to raise money and awareness for a wonderful cause,” she said. “I can’t wait to be part of it on Thursday 9 June and I encourage as many local ladies as possible to come down and enjoy the day.”
The popular broadcaster, who is also organising the FASHANNE Awards at Belvoir Castle with the Duchess of Rutland later in June, continued: “We want you to get your glad rags on and get creative with your tennis-themed hats as well! We will be running a raffle on the day which will be in support of Rainbows and the winners will receive some great prizes. Tickets are extremely reasonable so get the date in your diary.”
Tickets for the Aegon Open Nottingham start at £10, with a ‘Doubles Deal’ offer available where you can buy three tickets and get one free. Visit the website for more details.
A full What’s On guide for the Aegon Open Nottingham is available here.
Hospitality, which also includes a pamper pack, are also available. For information on the hospitality packages on offer, head to the website or contact Elliot Sheasby on aegonopen@lta.org.uk
Please check @BritishTennis or www.aegonopennottingham.co.uk for latest order of play information. Gates open from 10am