Emma Raducanu's grass court season has been brought forward after she accepted a wildcard to play in the Nottingham Open.
The British number one will play in front of a home crowd for the first time since her historic triumph at the US Open last September.
She will begin her Wimbledon preparations at the same tournament where her WTA Tour journey started in 2021.
Raducanu was meant to kickstart her grass court season at the Birmingham Classic, but home fans will now have the opportunity to see her in action earlier than expected after adding Nottingham to her calendar.
Back to where it all began
Raducanu made her WTA Tour debut at the Nottingham Open last June as a wildcard entry. While she was unable to make it past the first round, she used the experience as vital training for her first ever Grand Slam.
The 19-year-old enjoyed a strong winning streak at Wimbledon — reaching the fourth round after beating Vitalia Diatchenko, Markéta Vondroušová, and Sorana Cîrstea.
Unfortunately, what could have been an historic run at The All England Club was cut short as Raducanu was forced to retire due to breathing difficulties.
Due to her early withdrawal from the tournament, we still haven't seen the British number one's full potential at Wimbledon.
LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 03: Emma Raducanu of Great Britain celebrates a point during her Ladies' Singles third Round match against Sorana Cirstea of Romania during Day Six of The Championships - Wimbledon 2021 at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on July 03, 2021 in London, England. (Photo by AELTC/Jonathan Nackstrand - Pool/Getty Images)
Raducanu lost the first set against Tomljanović 6-4 but her valiant display could have spurred on a comeback had she not struggled with her breathing.
The world number 12 now has two grass court events to attend to get some practice in before she returns to The All England Club.
Since her US Open title win last year, Raducanu has seriously struggled with her form. Her best finish since winning at Flushing Meadows was reaching the quarter-finals at the Transylvania Open and the Stuttgart Open.
The 19-year-old is also currently without a full-time tennis coach, having recently parted ways with German mentor Torben Beltz.
However, she remains in high spirits and is keen to get back on the grass and in front of a roaring home crowd once again.
"I'm excited to return to Nottingham and it will be a great opportunity to play in front of British crowds for the first time this year," she said.
The Nottingham Open gets underway on Saturday, June 4th and will run until Sunday, June 12th, before the Birmingham Classic starts the following day.