First Grand Slam champion in Ikley: Marin Cilic to headline "Wimbledon of the North"

Marin Cilic has been announced for the main draw of the Challenger 125 Lexus Ilkley Open, which starts on June 9th, kicking off the grass-court swing. The former US Open champion will be the tournament's biggest star, with David Goffin as the defending champion.

The Challenger circuit has steadily gained more relevance, attracting higher-profile players to its draws. Last year, names like Richard Gasquet, Hugo Gaston, Lloyd Harris, and Cristian Garin were among those seeking to earn Challenger points to improve their rankings and gain rhythm on grass in preparation for Wimbledon.

This year's tournament will feature other interesting names, including Poland's Kamil Majchrzak, former Wimbledon quarterfinalist Christopher Eubanks, and the talented former world No. 333 Jenson Brooksby.

The tournament's initially announced star for this year was former top-10 Cameron Norrie, but his strong run at the French Open, reaching the fourth round, led him to cancel his participation in the 'Wimbledon of the North.' However, the organizers emphasized that they will still boast a stellar draw, led by the Croatian former major champion.

"Cilic is the first Grand Slam champion we'd have ever hosted at Ilkley, which is fantastic; US Open winner now playing at Ilkley. What a treat," said tournament director Rik Smith. "I had been hoping for a Cilic-Norrie final – but even if not, it’s unbelievable to have those names associated with Ilkley.

"Cam was a big draw for us and it would have been fantastic to have him, but the success he has had at Roland Garros, in the end has led to his withdrawal. It’s disappointing for us, but we’ve got Cilic coming, Chris Eubanks from America."

The tournament continues to grow in terms of notable players and fan attendance. In previous years, it featured other significant names like Fernando Verdasco, Jordan Thompson, Jack Sock, and Hugo Humbert, attracting increasing local public attention each year. "We’re up 300-400 on centre court this year, that now has a capacity of around 1,600-1,700, which is double the capacity we had in 2022, a huge rise over those three years,” Smith tells The Yorkshire Post. “In terms of the overall grounds we’ve extended the public areas hugely to accommodate all the additional spectators on centre court.”