Suddenly, Wimbledon is just one week away. Only two more grass-court tournaments remain in advance of 2025’s third major, taking place this week in Mallorca and Eastbourne. Despite landing on the calendar right before a Grand Slam, these events boast stellar draws. Among those in action are Ben Shelton, Felix Auger-Aliassime, Taylor Fritz, Tommy Paul, Alexander Bublik, and Joao Fonseca.
Here are my picks for this week’s ATP 250s.
Mallorca Championships
Where: Mallorca, Spain
Prize money: 596,035 Euros
Top seed: Ben Shelton
2024 champion: Alejandro Tabilo (not playing)
From the looks of this field you would think the event is in North America rather than in Spain. Among the top contenders are Shelton (USA), Auger-Aliassime (Canada), Gabriel Diallo (Canada), and Alex Michelsen (USA). The 28-man draw also features Americans Ethan Quinn, Brandon Holt, and Nishesh Basavareddy.
Perhaps the most surprising entrant is none other than 32-year-old Bernard Tomic, who successfully qualified for the main draw this past weekend. The Aussie will face countryman Rinky Hijikata in the first round before possibly meeting Queen’s Club semifinalist Roberto Bautista Agut in the second, Michelsen in the QFs, and Shelton in the SFs. On the other side of the draw, Auger-Aliassime appearas to have a favorable road to the final or even the title until he possibly runs into Diallo or Tallon Griekspoor in the semis.
Quarterfinal picks: Corentin Moutet over Ben Shelton, Alex Michelsen over Roberto Bautista Agut, Gabriel Diallo over Tallon Griekspoor, and Roman Safiullin over Arthur Rinderknech
Semifinals: Michelsen over Moutet and Diallo over Safiullin
Final: Michelsen over Diallo
Eastbourne Open
Where: Eastbourne, Great Britain
Prize money: 756,875 Euros
Top seed: Taylor Fritz
Defending champion: Taylor Fritz
Fritz has won Eastbourne every other year dating back to 2019. If he captures goes back-to-back titles at this tournament for the first time in his career, it will mark his fourth title in his last five trips to Eastbourne. However, the American’s draw is not easy. He will get started against the winner of a blockbuster first-round battlep between Fonseca and Zizou Bergs before potentially facing Flavio Cobolli in the QFs and Jakub Mensik in the SFs.
The bottom half of the bracket is wide open, largely due to Paul dealing with a leg injury since Roland Garros and Ugo Humbert struggling. Yes, Humbert is very dangerous on grass; but right now the surface might not even matter for him. Bublik and Cameron Norrie are among the unseeded floaters who could capitalize, although the Halle champion will probably withdraw.
Quarterfinal picks: Taylor Fritz over Flavio Cobolli, Jakub Mensik over Aleksandar Vukic, Cameron Norrie over Lorenzo Sonego, and Miomir Kecmanovic over Francisco Comesana
Semifinals: Mensik over Fritz and Norrie over Kecmanovic
Final: Mensik over Norrie
Ricky contributes to 10sballs.com and also maintains his own tennis website, The Grandstand. You can follow him on Twitter at @Dimonator.