ATP Tour

Scouting Report: Draper returns & Fritz eyes fifth Eastbourne crown, Tiafoe leads Mallorca

The ATP Tour grass-court swing continues with ATP 250 events at the Lexus Eastbourne Open and the Vanda Pharmaceuticals Mallorca Championships.

Taylor Fritz headlines the field in Eastbourne, where he is a record four-time champion, with Jack Draper returning to the Tour with Andy Murray by his side. Frances Tiafoe and Luciano Darderi headline field in Mallorca. ATPTour.com looks at five things to watch at both events.

FIVE THINGS TO WATCH IN EASTBOURNE

1) Fritz chasing fifth crown: Fritz is a record four-time champion in Eastbourne and won the title 12 months ago. The American recently reached the final in Stuttgart and Halle. The 28-year-old will aim for another deep run next week in Eastbourne, starting against Australian Alexei Popyrin or a qualifier.

2) Draper back in action: Draper recently teamed with ATP No. 1 Club member Murray, who will coach the British lefty throughout the grass-court season. The 24-year-old has not competed since Barcelona in April due to a knee injury and will return in Eastbourne, where he reached the semi-finals in 2022. Draper will face recent Queen’s Club semi-finalist Brandon Nakashima in his opener.

3) Fonseca seeks grass-court momentum: Joao Fonseca is seeking his first grass-court win of the season. The Brazilian, who fell in the first round in Halle, will aim to build momentum on the surface in Eastbourne, where he is the second seed. Fonseca opens his title bid against a qualifier.

4) Former champion Cerundolo returns: Francisco Cerundolo has a strong track record in Eastbourne, having lifted the crown in 2023. The 27-year-old, who claimed his first ATP 500 title Sunday at Queen’s Club, will seek another deep run when the third seed plays in Eastbourne.

5) Cash/Glasspool top seeds: Defending champions Julian Cash and Lloyd Glasspool lead the doubles field as the top seeds. The home hopes will face singles stars Juan Manuel Cerundolo and Camilo Ugo Carabelli in the first round. American-British duo Christian Harrison and Neal Skupski will also compete.

FIVE THINGS TO WATCH IN MALLORCA

1) Another first-time champion?: Since the tournament’s inception in 2021, a different player has won the title in Mallorca each year: Daniil Medvedev (2021), Stefanos Tsitsipas (2022), Christopher Eubanks (2023), Alejandro Tabilo (2024) and Tallon Griekspoor (2025). With only Tsitsipas and Tabilo among the former champions in this year's draw, a new Mallorca champion could be crowned at the ATP 250.

2) Tiafoe in solid form: Tiafoe won the biggest title of his career at the ATP 500 event in Halle and will aim to bring that momentum to Eastbourne, where the American is set to compete for the first time. The third seed will face countryman Ethan Quinn or Valentin Royer in his opener.

3) Darderi top seed: Following a solid clay-court season, Luciano Darderi will compete in his first grass-court event of the year in Eastbourne. The Italian, who won the crown in Santiago and reached the last four in Rome, will play his first grass-court match this season against Yannick Hanfmann or Adolfo Daniel Vallejo.

4) Kyrgios & Dimitrov receive wild cards: Nick Kyrgios and former World No. 3 Grigor Dimitrov have both received a wild card. Kyrgios is playing in Mallorca for the first time since 2022, when he reached the second round, while Dimitrov will be competing at the event for the first time.

5) Spanish hopes: Alejandro Davidovich Fokina and Martin Landaluce lead home hopes in Mallorca. Second seed Davidovich Fokina recently reached the quarter-finals at the Queen’s Club and is seeking his first tour-level title. #NextGenATP star Landaluce is set for his Mallorca debut and will open against Jan-Lennard Struff.

Editor's Note: This story was updated to reflect Tiafoe's title win and Fritz's run to the final at the Terra Wortmann Open, and Cerundolo's triumph at the HSBC Championships.