Devonshire Park…the home to the world-renowned tennis tournament, Eastbourne International, which prides itself in being both an ATP 250 and WTA 500 event. It’s a venue steeped in history and has welcomed some of the world’s greatest tennis talent onto its courts, watched on by thousands of tennis fans and spectators every year. What’s more, it’s a key indicator for The Championships, Wimbledon, making it a true gem in the tennis calendar.
Find out more about the history of Devonshire Park - here’s a quick trip down memory lane…
1874: Devonshire Park opened its doors to the public. It was originally intended as a cricket ground, but it was tennis that reigned supreme (sorry cricket lovers!)
1879: The first Devonshire Park tennis courts were laid out. Covered stands were built from 1921, with more courts added in 1933, and in 1998 the tennis centre was completed.
1881: The Devonshire Park Tennis Club opened, and the first lawn tennis championship was recorded.
1883-1972: Devonshire Park stages the inaugural South of England Lawn Tennis Championships for 136 years, annually.
1919: The first professional Lawn Tennis Championship of Great Britain are underway.
1974: First of the Women’s International Tennis Tournaments, sponsored by the LTA.
2016: The LTA and Eastbourne Council announce a £44m project to upgrade the park, including a show court and practice courts.
2017: Men’s tennis makes its big return to Eastbourne, hooray!
2019: Major improvements made to the international Tennis Centre at the 
Devonshire Park site in Devonshire Quarter, which has confirmed Eastbourne as the location for the flagship International Tennis Tournament, pre-Wimbledon, until at least 2026. The improvements include:
- Installation of a modern irritation system, ensuring that Eastbourne’s world famous grass courts remain in peak condition all year round.
- Increased space around outside match courts; this allows players to hit the ball harder and from further off the court, when returning serves and during rallies.
- A new show court (know formally known as Court 2), and two new practice courts have been built.
- A world-class players’ village for women’s and men’s tennis: changing rooms, fitness and physio suites, lounges, medical facilities, and provides conference spaces outside its use for lawn tennis.
2022: Court No.2 becomes the third court at Eastbourne International to install stands. Furthermore, Rothesay takes over as the tournament’s sponsor, its past sponsors including Viking Cruises, Nature Valley and AEGON.
There you have it tennis fans, the birth and development of Eastbourne’s much-loved Devonshire Park. Who knows what the future brings for this club…
