Jacob Fearnley will head up the British contingent at the first tournament of the 2026 grass court tennis season, as the entry list for the ATP Challenger draw at the Lexus Birmingham Open is confirmed.<\/p>\n
It follows the announcement of a stacked women\u2019s entry list last week<\/a>, which will include newly confirmed wild card Harriet Dart<\/a>.<\/p>\n Dart has enjoyed a resurgent 2026, including playing a key role in Lexus Great Britain Billie Jean King Cup<\/a> team\u2019s triumph against Australia in Melbourne in April, and is set to feature alongside 16 of the world\u2019s top 100 players, headlined by The Philippines\u2019 Alexandra Eala and reigning HSBC Championships<\/a> champion Tatjana Maria.<\/p>\n After a rapid rise in 2024, which saw him\u00a0reach the top 100 for the first time,\u00a0Fearnley<\/a> has quickly\u00a0established\u00a0himself at the top of the British game.\u00a0<\/p>\n It was his performances on British grass that helped propel him up the rankings,\u00a0claiming the Lexus Nottingham Open title in 2024 after coming through qualifying, and Fearnley will be hoping to bring\u00a0those same levels to the Edgbaston Priory Club this summer.\u00a0<\/p>\n Joining Fearnley in Birmingham will be rising star Jack Pinnington Jones<\/a> who is hoping to replicate his stellar 2025 grass court season. Pinnington Jones reached his first ATP Challenger final in Ilkley, made his ATP Tour debut in Eastbourne, and earnt his first ever Grand Slam main draw win over then world No.53 Tomas Martin Etcheverry at Wimbledon.<\/p>\n He has since continued his rise in 2026, reaching a career-high ranking of world No.133, and will be looking to bring that form to Birmingham\u2019s<\/a> grass courts.<\/p>\n Other names heading to Birmingham include Otto Virtanen, who claimed the title in Birmingham last summer and will be seeking to retain his crown, along with Norway\u2019s rising star Nicolai Budkov Kjaer, who faced off against Cam Norrie and Jacob Fearnley in the Davis Cup earlier this year.<\/p>\n Full entry list<\/a><\/p>\n