Birmingham Classic (tennis)

Not to be confused with Birmingham Open.

For the American ATP tournament, see ATP Birmingham.

The Lexus Birmingham Open (previously sponsored by Rothesay Pensions) is a WTA 125 women's tennis tournament on the WTA Tour.^[1] It is held at the Edgbaston Priory Club in Edgbaston, Birmingham, United Kingdom. Held at this location since 1982, it is the successor event to Midland Counties Championships (1882-1977) a combined event that was also held at the same venue.

Lexus Birmingham Open
WTA Tour
Event name	Viking Classic Birmingham (2021), Rothesay Classic Birmingham (2022-2024), Lexus Birmingham Open (2025-)
Founded	1982
Editions	42 (2024)
Location	Birmingham United Kingdom
Venue	Edgbaston Priory Club
Category	WTA 250 (2021-2024), WTA 125 (2025-)
Surface	Grass – outdoors
Draw	32S / 24Q / 16D
Prize money	US$267,082 (2024)
Website	lta.org.uk
Current champions (2024)
Singles	Yulia Putintseva
Doubles	Hsieh Su-wei Elise Mertens

The tournament is played on outdoor grass courts. It is seen as a warm up tournament for Wimbledon and a sister tournament to the men's Queen's Club Championships. Prior to 2014, the event was part of the WTA's International series. Between 2014 and 2019, it was a premier level tournament. The 2020 competition was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was a WTA 250 event from 2021 until 2024.

Sponsorship of the tournament has changed through the years, with the current sponsored name being the "Lexus Birmingham Open". Previously, the event has been called the "Rothesay Classic", "Viking Classic", "Nature Valley Classic", "Aegon Birmingham Classic", the "DFS Classic", the "Dow Classic", and the "Edgbaston Cup."

Pam Shriver holds the record for the most singles titles with four (1984–1987 consecutively).

Past finals

2005 Birmingham Classic

Singles

Year	Champions	Runners-up	Score	Name
↑  WTA 125  ↑
2024	Yulia Putintseva	Ajla Tomljanović	6–1, 7–6(10–8)	Rothesay Classic
2023	Jeļena Ostapenko	Barbora Krejčíková	7–6(10–8), 6–4
2022	Beatriz Haddad Maia	Zhang Shuai	5–4, ret.
2021	Ons Jabeur	Daria Kasatkina	7–5, 6–4	Viking Classic
↑  WTA 250  ↑
2020	Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic
2019	Ashleigh Barty	Julia Görges	6–3, 7–5	Nature Valley Classic
2018	Petra Kvitová (2)	Magdaléna Rybáriková	4–6, 6–1, 6–2
2017	Petra Kvitová	Ashleigh Barty	4–6, 6–3, 6–2	Aegon Classic
2016	Madison Keys	Barbora Strýcová	6–3, 6–4
2015	Angelique Kerber	Karolína Plíšková	6–7(5–7), 6–3, 7–6(7–4)
2014	Ana Ivanovic	Barbora Záhlavová-Strýcová	6–3, 6–2
↑  Premier tournament  ↑
2013	Daniela Hantuchová	Donna Vekić	7–6(7–5), 6–4
2012	Melanie Oudin	Jelena Janković	6–4, 6–2
2011	Sabine Lisicki	Daniela Hantuchová	6–3, 6–2
2010	Li Na	Maria Sharapova	7–5, 6–1
2009	Magdaléna Rybáriková	Li Na	6–0, 7–6(7–2)
2008	Kateryna Bondarenko	Yanina Wickmayer	7–6(9–7), 3–6, 7–6(7–4)	DFS Classic
2007	Jelena Janković	Maria Sharapova	4–6, 6–3, 7–5
2006	Vera Zvonareva	Jamea Jackson	7–6(14–12), 7–6(7–5)
2005	Maria Sharapova (2)	Jelena Janković	6–2, 4–6, 6–1
2004	Maria Sharapova	Tatiana Golovin	4–6, 6–2, 6–1
2003	Magdalena Maleeva	Shinobu Asagoe	6–1, 6–4
2002	Jelena Dokic	Anastasia Myskina	6–2, 6–3
2001	Nathalie Tauziat (2)	Miriam Oremans	6–3, 7–5
2000	Lisa Raymond	Tamarine Tanasugarn	6–2, 6–7(7–9), 6–4
1999	Julie Halard-Decugis	Nathalie Tauziat	6–2, 3–6, 6–4
1998	Cancelled after quarterfinals due to rain
1997	Nathalie Tauziat	Yayuk Basuki	2–6, 6–2, 6–2
1996	Meredith McGrath	Nathalie Tauziat	2–6, 6–4, 6–4
1995	Zina Garrison-Jackson (2)	Lori McNeil	6–3, 6–3
1994	Lori McNeil (2)	Zina Garrison-Jackson	6–2, 6–2
1993	Lori McNeil	Zina Garrison-Jackson	6–4, 2–6, 6–3
1992	Brenda Schultz	Jenny Byrne	6–2, 6–2	Dow Classic
1991	Martina Navratilova (2)	Natasha Zvereva	6–4, 7–6(8–6)
1990	Zina Garrison	Helena Suková	6–4, 6–1
1989	Martina Navratilova	Zina Garrison	7–6, 6–3
1988	Claudia Kohde-Kilsch	Pam Shriver	6–2, 6–1	Dow Chemical Classic
1987	Pam Shriver (4)	Larisa Savchenko	4–6, 6–2, 6–2
1986	Pam Shriver (3)	Manuela Maleeva	6–2, 7–6	Edgbaston Cup
1985	Pam Shriver (2)	Betsy Nagelsen	6–1, 6–0
1984	Pam Shriver	Anne White	7–6, 6–3
1983	Billie Jean King (2)	Alycia Moulton	6–0, 7–5
1982	Billie Jean King	Rosalyn Fairbank	6–2, 6–1

Champions by country

Country	Winner	First title	Last title
United States (USA)	16	1982	2016
France (FRA)	3	1997	2001
Russia (RUS)	3	2004	2006
Slovakia (SVK)	2	2009	2013
Serbia (SER)	2	2007	2014
Germany (GER)	2	2011	2015
Czech Republic (CZE)	2	2017	2018
West Germany (FRG)	1	1988	1988
Netherlands (NED)	1	1992	1992
Yugoslavia (YUG)	1	2002	2002
Bulgaria (BUL)	1	2003	2003
Ukraine (UKR)	1	2008	2008
China (CHN)	1	2010	2010
Australia (AUS)	1	2019	2019
Tunisia (TUN)	1	2021	2021
Brazil (BRA)	1	2022	2022
Latvia (LAT)	1	2023	2023
Kazakhstan (KAZ)	1	2024	2024

Doubles

Year	Champions	Runners-up	Score	Name
2024	Hsieh Su-wei (3) Elise Mertens	Miyu Kato Zhang Shuai	6–1, 6–3
2023	Marta Kostyuk Barbora Krejčíková	Storm Hunter Alycia Parks	6–2, 7–6(9–7)	Rothesay Classic
2022	Lyudmyla Kichenok Jeļena Ostapenko	Elise Mertens Zhang Shuai	Walkover
2021	Marie Bouzková Lucie Hradecká	Ons Jabeur Ellen Perez	6–4, 2–6, [10–8]	Viking Classic
↑  WTA 250  ↑
2020	Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic
2019	Hsieh Su-wei (2) Barbora Strýcová (2)	Anna-Lena Grönefeld Demi Schuurs	6–4, 6–7(4–7), [10–8]	Nature Valley Classic
2018	Tímea Babos (2) Kristina Mladenovic	Elise Mertens Demi Schuurs	4–6, 6–3, [10–8]
2017	Ashleigh Barty (2) Casey Dellacqua (2)	Chan Hao-ching Zhang Shuai	6–1, 2–6, [10–8]	Aegon Classic
2016	Karolína Plíšková Barbora Strýcová	Vania King Alla Kudryavtseva	6–3, 7–6(7–1)
2015	Garbiñe Muguruza Carla Suárez Navarro	Andrea Hlaváčková Lucie Hradecká	6–4, 6–4
2014	Raquel Kops-Jones Abigail Spears	Ashleigh Barty Casey Dellacqua	7–6(7–1), 6–1
↑  Premier tournament  ↑
2013	Ashleigh Barty Casey Dellacqua	Cara Black Marina Erakovic	7–5, 6–4
2012	Tímea Babos Hsieh Su-wei	Liezel Huber Lisa Raymond	7–5, 6–7(2–7), [10–8]
2011	Olga Govortsova Alla Kudryavtseva	Sara Errani Roberta Vinci	1–6, 6–1, [10–5]
2010	Cara Black (4) Lisa Raymond	Liezel Huber Bethanie Mattek-Sands	6–3, 3–2, RET
2009	Cara Black (3) Liezel Huber (2)	Raquel Kops-Jones Abigail Spears	6–1, 6–4
2008	Cara Black (2) Liezel Huber	Séverine Brémond Virginia Ruano Pascual	6–2, 6–1	DFS Classic
2007	Chan Yung-jan Chuang Chia-jung	Sun Tiantian Meilen Tu	7–6(7–3), 6–3
2006	Jelena Janković Li Na	Jill Craybas Liezel Huber	6–2, 6–4
2005	Daniela Hantuchová Ai Sugiyama	Eleni Daniilidou Jennifer Russell	6–2, 6–3
2004	Maria Kirilenko Maria Sharapova	Lisa McShea Milagros Sequera	6–2, 6–1
2003	Els Callens (3) Meilen Tu	Alicia Molik Martina Navratilova	7–5, 6–4
2002	Shinobu Asagoe Els Callens (2)	Kimberly Po-Messerli Nathalie Tauziat	6–4, 6–3
2001	Cara Black Elena Likhovtseva	Kimberly Po-Messerli Nathalie Tauziat	6–1, 6–2
2000	Rachel McQuillan Lisa McShea	Cara Black Irina Selyutina	6–3, 7–6(7–3)
1999	Corina Morariu Larisa Neiland (3)	Alexandra Fusai Inés Gorrochategui	6–4, 6–4
1998	Els Callens Julie Halard-Decugis	Lisa Raymond Rennae Stubbs	2–6, 6–4, 6–4
1997	Katrina Adams Larisa Neiland (2)	Nathalie Tauziat Linda Wild	6–2, 6–3
1996	Elizabeth Smylie (2) Linda Wild	Lori McNeil Nathalie Tauziat	6–3, 3–6, 6–1
1995	Manon Bollegraf Rennae Stubbs (2)	Nicole Bradtke Kristine Radford	3–6, 6–4, 6–4
1994	Zina Garrison-Jackson Larisa Neiland	Catherine Barclay Kerry-Anne Guse	6–4, 6–4
1993	Lori McNeil (2) Martina Navratilova	Pam Shriver Elizabeth Smylie	6–3, 6–4
1992	Lori McNeil Rennae Stubbs	Sandy Collins Elna Reinach	5–7, 6–3, 8–6	Dow Classic
1991	Nicole Provis Elizabeth Smylie	Sandy Collins Elna Reinach	6–3, 6–4
1990	Larisa Savchenko (3) Natasha Zvereva (3)	Gretchen Magers Lise Gregory	3–6, 6–3, 6–3
1989	Larisa Savchenko (2) Natasha Zvereva (2)	Meredith McGrath Pam Shriver	7–5, 5–7, 6–0
1988	Larisa Savchenko Natasha Zvereva	Leila Meskhi Svetlana Parkhomenko	6–4, 6–1
1987	Cancelled due to rain			Dow Chemical Classic
1986	Elise Burgin Rosalyn Fairbank	Elizabeth Smylie Wendy Turnbull	6–2, 6–4	Edgbaston Cup
1985	Terry Holladay Sharon Walsh-Pete (2)	Elise Burgin Alycia Moulton	6–4, 5–7, 6–3
1984	Leslie Allen Anne White	Barbara Jordan Elizabeth Sayers	7–6, 6–3
1983	Billie Jean King Sharon Walsh	Beverly Mould Elizabeth Sayers	6–2, 6–4
1982	Jo Durie Anne Hobbs	Rosie Casals Wendy Turnbull	6–3, 6–2

Champions by country

Country	Winner	First title	Last title
United States (USA)	20	1983	2014
Australia (AUS)	8	1991	2017
Soviet Union (URS)	6	1988	1990
Czech Republic (CZE)	5	2016	2023
Chinese Taipei (TPE)	5	2007	2024
Russia (RUS)	4	2001	2011
Zimbabwe (ZIM)	4	2001	2010
Belgium (BEL)	4	1998	2024
Ukraine (UKR)	2	2022	2023
Great Britain (GBR)	2	1982	1982
Latvia (LAT)	2	1997	2022
France (FRA)	2	1998	2018
Japan (JPN)	2	2002	2005
Hungary (HUN)	2	2012	2018
Spain (SPA)	2	2015	2015
South Africa (RSA)	1	1986	1986
Slovakia (SVK)	1	2005	2005
China (CHN)	1	2006	2006
Serbia and Montenegro (SCG)	1	2006	2006
Belarus (BLR)	1	2011	2011

See also

• Birmingham Open – men's tournament

References

1. "LTA and Lexus extend their partnership to cover tournaments at Nottingham and Eastbourne". 17 February 2025.

External links

• Official website

52°27′30″N 1°54′46″W