The 26th edition of the Libema Open is around the corner and there are a few quality players competing.
Ekaterina Alexandrova won last year's tournament by defeating Aryna Sabalenka in the final. The Russian is seeded fourth in 2023 and will be expected to do well.
However, it won't be an easy title defense for her as the likes of Victoria Azarenka, Liudmila Samsonova, Veronika Kudermetova and Bianca Andreescu are competing as well.
On that note, let's take a look at all you need to know about the WTA 250 event.
What is the Libema Open?
The Libema Open is a grass-court tournament which takes place in June. The women's singles event is a part of the WTA 250 series. The inaugural edition took place in 1996, with Anke Huber winning it by beating Helena Sukova 6-4, 7-6(2) in the final.
Justine Henin, Coco Vandeweghe, and Tamarine Tanasugarn have won the tournament a record two times. Other past champions include Martina Hingis, Kim Clijsters, and Simona Halep.
Venue
The Autotron Rosmalen in 's-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands is the venue for the Libema Open.
Players
Veronika Kudermetova is the top seed in the women's singles event at the Libema Open and will be considered among the favorites to win it. Liudmila Samsonova is the second seed and will look to bounce back following early exits at the Italian Open and the French Open.
Former World No. 1 Victoria Azarenka is seeded third at the WTA 250 event and will be keen to start the grass court season strongly after just two wins out of five matches on clay.
Defending champion Ekaterina Alexandrova is the fourth seed and will be among the heavy favorites to win. Elise Mertens, Bianca Andreescu, Aliaksandra Sasnovich, and Caty McNally are among the seeded players and will all be expected to have long runs in 's-Hertogenbosch.
Schedule
The main draw of the Libema Open will start on June 12, when the opening round will take place. The quarterfinals will be held on June 16 while the semifinals are set for June 17. The final is scheduled to take place on June 18.
Prize Money
The total prize pool for the tournament is €259,303 and the winner of the women's singles event will earn €29,760 and 280 ranking points. Here is the prize money breakdown for the Libema Open:
Where to Watch Libema Open?
Viewers in the US, UK, Australia, and Canada can watch the tournament live on the following channels and sites:
USA: All matches will be broadcast on Tennis Channel.
UK: Fans in the UK can watch the proceedings live on Amazon Prime Video.
Australia: All matches will be telecast on beIN Sports.
Canada: Viewers in Canada can watch all the matches on TSN.